Will the 2013 banner rise again? Louisville basketball fans see a glimmer of hope

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Inside the KFC Yum! Center, the rafters tell the story of Louisville basketball glory. But one banner is missing: the 2013 national championship, stripped by the NCAA.

Now, the University of Louisville said it's time to start a conversation about bringing it back.

U of L Athletic Director Josh Heird said recently the school plans to ask the NCAA to revisit the decision in light of recent changes in college sports. There is no formal appeals process and no precedent for reinstating a vacated championship. But the request is gaining support from fans, former players and city leaders.

Former Cardinal Jerry Eaves, who played on Louisville's 1980 title team, said history is not on UofL's side.

"There's a difference between feeling and fact," Eaves said. "When you have players that are involved, it makes them ineligible. That's why we lost the games and that's why we lost the championship. It's happened before with UCLA in 1980 and even Western Kentucky in the 1970s."

Eaves said while other schools like North Carolina and Michigan kept championships despite major scandals, Louisville's violations involved current players — a fact he believes makes reinstatement unlikely.

But not everyone shares that doubt.

Family court judge Derwin Webb, also a former Louisville player, said the 2013 team earned its title on the court and shouldn't have lost its banner.

"Seeing your team win the championship and hold the trophy up is something you always remember," Webb said. "I don't think you should ever penalize kids for something that did not happen on the court. After Michigan kept its championship in spite of in-game violations, I believe this is the prime time for us to have the opportunity to bring that championship back."

Webb also pointed out former Louisville star Luke Hancock successfully sued to have his records restored, including his Most Outstanding Player award from the 2013 Final Four.

"You can't acknowledge that Luke was the most outstanding player and then say the championship never happened," Webb said.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg agreed.

"It is definitely time to bring the banner back home to Louisville, to the University of Louisville, to the Yum! Center, where it belongs," Greenberg said. "They know I'm there willing to support them, as are hundreds of thousands of Louisvillians across the city."

Even former Athletic Director Tom Jurich, who helped lead UofL through its most successful era, said Greenberg is the right person to help push the case.

"I think that banner needs to be back up and I think he's the right guy to do it," Jurich said. "Craig is a proven leader. He knows how to make decisions, and I think that case needs to be laid out and relooked at."

The NCAA ordered Louisville to vacate its 2013 national championship and 2012 Final Four appearance in 2018 after determining a staff member arranged sex acts and parties for players and recruits. At the time, the panel said the "repugnant" nature of the violations justified enhanced penalties.

Since then, however, the NCAA has taken a softer approach in other high-profile cases, including declining to punish Michigan after a sign-stealing scandal and letting North Carolina keep titles despite an academic fraud scheme.

For Louisville, the fight to restore the banner may be a long shot. But for many in the city, it's about more than precedent — it's about pride.

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