Kansas basketball: Late Night in the Phog doubtful in 2020

Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self is doubtful about having Late Night in the Phog, which is understandable given the nature of college sports right now.

Given the way college football has been trending, there doesn’t seem to be much hope anymore for a “regular” season. Group of Five conferences have already called off seasons, and Power Five conferences are beginning to do the same. So far though, a somewhat normal basketball season appears to be a possibility, for now. Despite this, Kansas basketball may miss out on one big event.

Late Night in the Phog, the first chance for fans to see the 2020-21 team in action, may end up not happening according to Bill Self. That’s not an extremely shocking revelation, given the status of college athletics right now, but it still sounds strange since there’s been a “Late Night” every year since 1985.

Here is what Self had to say (via the KC Star):

"“The reality of having fans that soon from now, six or seven weeks from now, I don’t think it’s realistic. We’re not giving up on it (but) I don’t think it’s realistic.”“I’m not getting overly excited about anything now. We are preparing like everything will come off on time. It seems to me the longer it goes, there’s more uncertainty out there.”"

Ultimately, Self seems to be going about this the right way. Based on his quotes, it sounds like he’s still holding out hope that things could get better in the future, but as of now, it’s highly unlikely that Allen Fieldhouse will be packed with 16,300 fans at any point in the near future.

As a Kansas basketball fan, there’s not much that can be done other than waiting and hoping for the best. Time will tell how this situation will play out, and hopefully, we’ll be able to safely return to college sports sooner rather than later.