"Late Night in the Phog" is the official kickoff to the basketball season. It's one part scrimmage, one part talent show, and two parts shenanigans! Late Night 2019 will be on Friday, October 4, 6:30 to about 9:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Students with ID wait in a separate line and are granted entrance two hours before the event begins.

The first Late Night was held in 1985, Larry Brown was the coach that year, and attracted 6,000 fans.  Many students wore T-shirts that read "Late Night With Larry Brown, Starring the 1985-1986 Kansas basketball team...all the way to Dallas." The shirts worked because the team advanced to the Final Four in Dallas that year.

Interesting to note that current KU coach Bill Self was a grad assistant on that team!