The odds for the Louisville Cardinals to win the 2026 men’s college basketball championship is +2200 at bet365 Kentucky Sportsbook. That’s proof enough that there’s no question Pat Kelsey, in just his second year as coach, has brought the Cardinals back as an NCAA title contender.
Instead, the question is: Would a 2026 title be the Cards’ third or their fourth? The answer depends on who is asked because the NCAA vacated the 2013 title after investigating the program.
Louisville lost 123 wins over four years because the NCAA determined that players and recruits received impermissible benefits, which amounted to a staffer providing strippers and escorts. Other penalties at the time included probation, recruiting restrictions and the loss of NCAA Tournament revenue.
While the other sanctions ran their course, taking down the championship banner (and the 2012 Final Four banner as well) remains a bitter reminder for Cardinals fans. Some have even taken it upon themselves to hang their own, and even the school put one up at the Yum Center in 2023 to acknowledge the team being No. 1 in the final coaches’ poll.
With the NCAA recently handing down substantially lighter penalties against the Michigan Wolverines in an investigation tied to their 2023 championship football team, some – and not just Louisville fans – are saying it’s a question worth re-examining.
BetKentucky.com agrees and has come up with the following odds on when – or if – the NCAA may decide to recognize the Louisville 2013 championship team. These odds are for entertainment purposes only, and you will not find them at any Kentucky sportsbook apps licensed to take wagers in the commonwealth.
| Timeframe | Odds | Implied Probability |
| Before Dec. 31, 2025 | +1500 | 6.3% |
| Before Dec. 31, 2030 | +185 | 35.1% |
| Before Dec. 31, 2035 | +500 | 16.7% |
| Jan. 1, 2036, Or Later | +740 | 11.9% |
| Never | +233 | 30% |
Louisville fans want the trophy and banner back yesterday. But it’s hard to see the NCAA doing that any time soon.
That said, no one knows what the NCAA will do. Given the new era of major college sports, it seems silly to take away an NCAA title because of strippers but not rescind one after a team stole opponents’ signs for years.
Also, Louisville self-imposed penalties in the wake of the scandal, including an NCAA Tournament ban in 2016. Michigan destroyed evidence and blocked internal compliance staff for doing its job like it was the Ohio State defensive line.
For all that, the NCAA levied financial penalties worth at least $20 million, extended current coach Sherrone Moore’s suspension, reduced recruiting visits and gave former coach Jim Harbaugh a show-cause penalty that would seemingly ban him from coaching in college for the next 13 years.
Considering Harbaugh is currently coaching the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers and turns 62 in December, that penalty is by all accounts a specious one.
BetKentucky.com will continue to monitor this story and give you the best Kentucky sports betting promos. The Cardinals’ upcoming basketball season, which tips off No. 11 when Kelsey’s Cards host their archrival Kentucky Wildcats in the highly anticipated opening contest.
USA Today photo by Aaron Doster
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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