University of Kansas apologizes for controversial Snoop Dogg show
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The University of Kansas athletic director Jeff Long issued an apology on Friday night following a controversial performance by Snoop Dogg during the school's "Late Night in the Phog" preseason celebration.
The performance, which kicked off the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team's 2019-2020 season, featured pole dancers, a money gun and profanity in front of a raucous crowd of 16,300 people at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.
Snoop Dogg performs onstage at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The University of Kansas has apologized for its risque Late Night at the Phog event in which the rapper performed, stripper poles were wheeled onto the Allen Fieldhouse floor and fake money was shot over the heads of prospective recruits. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP, File)
"We apologize for the Snoop Dogg performance at Late Night," Long said. "We made it clear to the entertainers' managers that we expected a clean version of the show and took additional steps to communicate to our fans, including moving the artist to the final act of the evening, to ensure that no basketball activities would be missed if anyone did not want to stay for his show."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He added: "I take full responsibility for not thoroughly vetting all the details of the performance and offer my personal apology to those who were offended. We strive to create a family atmosphere at Kansas and fell short of that this evening."
During the event, Snoop Dogg performed some of his famous hits like "Gin and Juice," and "Drop It Like It's Hot," complete with a team of pole dancers. He wore a Kansas Jayhawks Jersey and even shot fake money into the crowd, which ESPN reported featured his own face on the currency.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While the performance isn't new for the rapper, the school is currently facing five NCAA Level I violations, including a lack of institutional control and a violation of coaching responsibilities standard. Those violations could result in serious penalties for the basketball program.
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Kansas head coach, Bill Self also issued an apology for the event while exclaiming the performance went a bit further than he expected.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“That’s not the direction that anybody at our school would want that to go, at all," Self told USA Today. "Regardless of the entertainment that it provided many. It was still not the right way to provide the entertainment.”
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He added: "I’ve heard from some people that bad publicity is better than no publicity. I actually don’t believe that for a second, but it felt good to say."