Louisville ordered to vacate 2013 national title

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The University of Louisville no longer can claim in the official record that its men’s basketball program won the 2013 NCAA championship.

Louisville has been ordered to vacate records for four seasons of former coach Rick Pitino’s controversial tenure, including trips to the Final Four in both 2012 and 2013.

According to an NCAA release, Louisville is also required to return money received through conference revenue sharing for appearances in the national tournament from 2012-15.

Officials at a Louisville news conference pegged the fine at about $600,000.

The NCAA determined in its investigation that a former Louisville basketball staffer arranged parties in which strippers entertained players and recruits.

In the wake of the allegations, Louisville self-imposed a penalty by taking itself out of consideration for the 2016 NCAA tournament.

The newest penalties came down after the school’s appeal of the additional sanctions was denied.

Pitino was fired in October over a separate matter, when Louisville acknowledged that its program was being investigated as part of a federal corruption probe of college basketball.

The former coach was linked to a plan to funnel $100,000 to the family of a recruit.

Pitino was not charged criminally in the probe.

Louisville is viewed as an NCAA tournament-caliber team this season under interim coach David Padgett.

The Cardinals are 18-9 and 8-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference leading into a Wednesday night game at No. 5 Duke.