Big Jay squeezes in for a selfie with several fans in the Kansas student section during Late Night in the Phog on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug

In its 42nd annual iteration, Late Night in the Phog will undergo two of the most dramatic changes in its history.

The event, Kansas Athletics announced on Thursday afternoon, will now occur on two separate days — Friday, Oct. 16 for the KU men’s basketball team and Thursday, Oct. 29 for the women’s basketball team — and will include exhibition contests against Division II foes: Pittsburg State for the men and Washburn for the women.

The move to emphasize the basketball element of the event follows last year’s cost-cutting decision to remove a headlining performing artist from Late Night in the Phog.

KU’s press release asserts that the dual events “will still have the feel of the annual celebration.” The men’s Late Night will still include Phog Fest with food trucks and games beginning at 2 p.m. on Oct. 16. The release suggests that “Late Night will feature full team introductions before the game with interaction activities before, during and after the contests, including giveaways, halftime and postgame events and much more.”

The Late Night announcement also clarifies the exhibition schedule for both teams. In addition to facing Pitt State (coached, by the way, by former Jayhawk Jeff Boschee), the KU men’s team will host Louisville in a second game on Oct. 21 in the return date of last year’s home-and-home exhibition series. The Jayhawks won the game at the KFC! Yum Center, 90-82; the Cardinals acquired former KU forward Flory Bidunga in the transfer portal this offseason, adding a layer of intrigue to this year’s contest.

KU this season features the top recruit in the 2026 class, forward Tyran Stokes, alongside an array of incoming freshmen and transfers and promising returning sophomores Paul Mbiya and Kohl Rosario. The regular season begins on Nov. 2 in Lawrence against Fordham.

As for the women’s team, it will play another Division II foe, Northeastern State, on Oct. 22 at Allen Fieldhouse before its Late Night date with Washburn and season opener on Nov. 3 against Omaha in Lawrence.

Sophomore forward Jaliya Davis and senior guard S’Mya Nichols, two of the top players in the Big 12 and perhaps the country, will headline this year’s KU roster as the Jayhawks look to return to the NCAA Tournament after reaching the WBIT semifinals last spring.