No wonder the University of Kansas is slipping on the list of top party schools. All that’s currently planned for the KU football team’s Orange Bowl victory and Mythical National Championship is some sort of celebration at Allen Fieldhouse.

On Feb. 23.

Yep, more than a month from now. There’s nothing like celebrating the biggest win in the history of a program with a pep rally that takes place after everyone forgets that the Orange Bowl even happened. A Tupperware party sounds more exciting.

So, here’s the solution. Break out the floats. Get the batons. I’ll bring some cool-looking hats.

It’s time for a parade.

The players deserve one for recognition, and the fans deserve one to enjoy their team’s accomplishment.

Of course, you can’t just throw a parade for anything. Parades should be designated for special events or major accomplishments. In the sporting world, this means championships. And when you couple a parade with a significant sporting achievement, entertainment is sure to follow.

Former Laker Mark Madsen showed the world his Screech-like dance moves at a championship parade in Los Angeles. Ty Law, the soft, slow cornerback and former Patriot, performed a rap after one of New England’s Super Bowl titles. NFL owners Art Modell and Robert Kraft have also provided memorable parade moments with their Madsen-esque dance moves.

You see, parades are fun. Lawrence should know. The last time a KU team won a championship, a parade took place. A few days after the basketball team defeated Oklahoma 83-79 in April 1988, about 60,000 people lined Massachusetts Street to celebrate with an official parade. So, why not do it again for the football team?

You might say that the basketball team won a national championship, but the football team won the Orange Bowl and finished No. 7 in the AP Poll. True; the accomplishments aren’t the same. But with the wacky system college football uses to crown a champion, KU has a legitimate claim to be deemed No. 1 and thus parade-worthy.

The Jayhawks are the only team from a major conference with one loss. Sorry, LSU, USC and Georgia. Two losses don’t cut it for a mythical champion. A perceived weak schedule has brought down Kansas in the eyes of AP voters and national college football analysts. Coach Mark Mangino obviously scheduled some weak teams, including Southeastern Louisiana and Florida International. But the Jayhawks beat MAC champion Central Michigan, a ranked K-State coming off a huge upset of Texas, Texas A&M at Kyle Field (KU was the only team to win there this season) and bowl teams Colorado and Oklahoma State on the road. Kansas’ loss to Missouri was also as solid a loss as you can have.

Those credentials are good enough for a stake to the mythical championship. And even if they’re not true champions, the Jayhawks still deserve a parade.

The Orange Bowl victory was the biggest in program history. It had been 39 years since the football had played on such a large stage. Kansas might not get a victory this big for another 39 years or even longer.

Mangino has the team headed in the right direction, but success is hard to sustain. Just ask K-State. Ten years ago, the Wildcats nearly went undefeated. Now, they’ve had losing records in two of three seasons. Orange Bowl victories and Mythical National Championships aren’t just going to come along every year. That’s why this season needs to be remembered properly.

Athletics Director Lew Perkins, Chancellor Robert Hemenway, Lawrence Mayor Sue Hack – all of you need to get together to make this happen. We need more than the celebration on Feb. 23. You can plan the parade.

Fans and players need to soak in the moment. They need to rejoice. Have fun.

They need a parade.

— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird