Marching band sanctioned over accidental genitals formation

A US college will pay a $5000 fine after their famous marching band inadvertently formed the shape of a penis during a football game's halftime show.

Kansas State University insists what appeared to be a penis and testicles attacking a Jayhawk (the team mascot) was intended to be an outline of the Star Trek spaceship the USS Enterprise.

But most among the crowd at the stadium on Saturday did not recognise the pop culture icon, instead seeing something more Freudian.

Kansas State was quick to respond to the accusations, giving the marching band director a one-match ban and creating a new approval process for future formations.

"Good sportsmanship is part of the Wildcat way," college president Kirk Schulz said.

"We do not want to do anything that takes away from the tremendous efforts of our student athletes and the award-winning pride of Wildcat Land marching band."

College football is enormously popular in Kansas, with 30,000 people filling the stands in the relatively isolated town of Manhattan, which has just 52,000 residents.

The side lost the game to South Dakota State University, 41-38.