Louisville to vacate 2013 national title as NCAA upholds penalties

Louisville will become the first modern Division I school to have its championship vacated.

The NCAA announced Tuesday that it has upheld its penalties against Louisville following an appeal, and the Cardinals will therefore have to vacate their 2013 national title as a result of the school's escort scandal.

Allegations that former Louisville staffer Andre McGee arranged dances and sex acts for Cardinals recruits and players were first revealed in a book by self-described former escort Katina Powell.

From the NCAA:

In the Committee on Infractions’ decision, the panel found that a former Louisville director of basketball operations acted unethically when he committed serious violations by arranging striptease dances and sex acts for prospects, student-athletes and others, and did not cooperate with the investigation. The violations in the case resulted in some men’s basketball student-athletes competing while ineligible.

Additionally, the program will have to vacate its 2012 Final Four appearance along with 123 wins over a four-year period.

The school will also have to return NCAA money received through revenue sharing stemming from its NCAA tournament appearances in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Former Louisville coach Rick Pitino denied any knowledge of McGee's arrangements, but the NCAA ruled he violated head-coach responsibilities by failing to monitor his staffer.

Pitino was fired in October 2017 amid an FBI investigation into fraud and corruption in college basketball recruiting.