L’ville forced to vacate ’13 title

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville off icials 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 t he scandal was unacceptable, Postel believes 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 disag ree 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 Co mmitt e e ruled that the NCAA has the authority to take away championships for what it considers major rule violations. It also refuted Louisville’s position that the NCAA exceeded its boundaries and didn’t follow its own precedent established in other cases and said in an eight-page decision that upheld the penalties.

Louisville now must forfeit its third NCAA title, victories and income from 2011-15, part of the timeframe 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.

Pitino has repeatedly denied knowing about the activities described in Powell’s book, but the blemish on the program will never be forgotten — not after Tuesday’s sanctions.