It won’t be the party Jayhawk fans were hoping for.

Instead of a welcome-home party for a national championship men’s basketball team, fans will gather today to celebrate a bittersweet season ended too soon.

“It doesn’t need to be somber,” said KU spokesman Todd Cohen. “They had a fantastic season. Any time you have a Final Four team, you’re a success.”

The hourlong event is set to begin at 4 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It will include speeches, a B-1 bomber flyover and music  all to honor the 33-4 Jayhawks, who were defeated Saturday in a Final Four matchup against Maryland.

KU officials will not cancel classes for the event, Cohen said. That decision will be left up to each professor.

Jayhawk radio announcers Bob Davis and Max Falkenstien will be masters of ceremonies. Chancellor Robert Hemenway, Athletics Director Al Bohl, coach Roy Williams and several team members are scheduled to speak.

Dixie Road, a country music group that has performed at NASCAR races, will sing the national anthem.

A B-1 bomber from the 184th Bomb Wing at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita will fly over the stadium. Its four crew members all are KU graduates.

The KU pep band, Big Jay and Baby Jay mascots, cheerleaders, Crimson Girls, the SuperJay inflatable mascot and a Jayhawk hot air balloon also will be at the celebration.

Concessions and the Jayhawk memorabilia store will be open on the west side of the stadium.

Parking lots on the east and west side of the stadium will be open to visitors, as will the garage north of the Kansas Union.

In case of bad weather, the event will be moved to Allen Fieldhouse. KU officials will decide by 1:30 p.m. where the celebration will take place.

Although the event is the official homecoming for the team, members actually arrived in Lawrence Monday afternoon from Atlanta. KU officials were mum on the return plans to avoid a mass gathering at Kansas City International Airport. Staff and coaches were set to return from Atlanta today.

Today’s celebration may not end the hoopla surrounding this year’s team. The Chamber of Commerce may coordinate a parade for the team next week, possibly Monday or Wednesday.

Chamber President Bill Sepic said he expected to hear from Williams by Wednesday about if and when the parade would occur. The chamber has coordinated similar parades for other KU Final Four teams.