Louisville must vacate 2013 title

Louisville officials are not happy with the NCAA’s decision that mandates the school vacate its 2013 men’s basketball championship in the wake of an embarrassing sex scandal, and interim President Greg Postel did not hide his disappointment.

While acknowledging the scandal was unacceptable, Postel said the school’s cooperation should have counted for more than it did. But Tuesday, Louisville announced that an NCAA appeals panel had upheld sanctions against the men’s program. As a result, the Cardinals have to vacate not only the championship, but 122 other victories and return some $600,000 in conference revenue from the 2012-15 NCAA tournaments.

“I cannot say this strongly enough: We believe the NCAA is simply wrong,” Postel said Tuesday. “We disagree with the NCAA ruling for reasons we clearly stated in our appeal. And we made a strong case — based on NCAA precedent — that supported our argument.”

It may have been a strong case, but the NCAA had its own convictions.

The decision by the governing body’s Infraction Appeals Committee ruled that the NCAA has the authority to take away championships for what it considers major rule violations. In the eight-page decision, the NCAA also refuted Louisville’s position that the governing body exceeded its boundaries and didn’t follow its own precedent established in other cases.

Louisville must forfeit its third NCAA title, victories and income from 2011-15, part of the time frame during which the violations occurred. The decision is the culmination of the NCAA’s investigation that followed allegations in a 2015 book by escort Katina Powell that former Cardinals basketball staffer Andre McGee hired her and other dancers to strip and have sex with recruits.

Then-coach Rick Pitino has repeatedly denied knowing about the activities described in Powell’s book.