LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas Jayhawks athletic director Jeff Long issued an apology Friday night following Snoop Dogg's raucous performance at an annual university event that included pole dancers.
The hip-hop artist's appearance at the "Late Night in the Phog" kickoff at the University of Kansas caused controversy when Snoop, wearing a blue No. 20 Kansas jersey, sang to a cheering crowd while backed by dancers twirling around stripper poles.
He also shot a money gun full of fake $100 bills with hisface on them during his performance at the end of the basketball preseason celebration.
"We apologize for the Snoop Dogg performance at Late Night," Long said in a statement. "We made it clear to the entertainer's 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."
Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self spoke to reporters after the event on Friday and said he was caught off-guard by the performance, which he thought would be "radio-edited".
"That's not the direction that anybody at our school would want that to go at all," Self said. "Regardless of the entertainment that it provided many, it was still not the right way to provide the entertainment."
The Jayhawks coach missed the majority of the performance because he wasn't feeling well, but said he didn't know there would be pole dancers or a money gun.
While Snoop's performance was met with loud screams and excited fans asking for autographs, Self and Long were not prepared for what Snoop would bring to the court.
"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," said Long.
Last week, the Kansas Jayhawks were charged by the NCAA with five Level I and two Level II violations, including a lack of institution control charge and a violation of coaching responsibilities standard.
In the midst of the controversy, Snoop Dogg will be holding a free concerton Saturday at the grand opening of Hotbox Farms, a marijuana dispensary in Ontario, Oregon.
