photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Rapper Lil Jon performs during Late Night in the Phog at Allen Fieldhouse Friday, October 18, 2024 in Lawrence.

Kansas Athletics announced further details on Wednesday night for the 41st edition of Late Night in the Phog, and in a departure from recent years, there will be no musical headliner at this year’s event.

Late Night has for decades served as the unofficial tipoff of the KU men’s and women’s basketball seasons at Allen Fieldhouse, with both teams participating in short scrimmages as well as lighthearted skits and dances.

Those elements, in addition to the traditional $10,000 halfcourt shot, will be present again in this year’s edition, which is set for Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m., with the gates opening for fans at 5 p.m. and Phog Fest on the front lawn of Allen Fieldhouse beginning three hours earlier.

The difference, however, is the replacement of a musical guest — recent artists have included Lil Jon, Flo Rida and Run-DMC — with what is known as the Late Night After Party, “a KU student-only dance party on the Allen Fieldhouse court featuring dueling DJs” as described by the press release. That will take place after the conclusion of the men’s basketball scrimmage.

Late Night has occasionally deployed DJ-centric entertainment in years past, as when it brought in NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, known as DJ Diesel, for the 2022 edition of the event.

Late Night in the Phog is a free event with a ticket reservation system. Different tiers of donors will be able to reserve tickets between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 before the general public gets its chance on Oct. 3.

The women’s basketball team combines returning guards S’Mya Nichols and Elle Evans with a highly touted freshman class of Tatyonna Brown, Jaliya Davis, Libby Fandel and Keeley Parks. The men’s team centers on incoming top recruit Darryn Peterson, a guard head coach Bill Self has called the best player he’s ever recruited, who joins returning forward Flory Bidunga and a host of high-upside freshmen and veteran transfers.