'They can't take this one': Taj Louisville hung its own NCAA title banner in downtown

Bobby Shipman

Courier Journal

No need to do a U-turn in the middle of Market Street — that red banner billowing in downtown Louisville is merely a replica.

A replica of the 2013 NCAA national Championship basketball banner hangs from the front of Taj Louisville, a bar on Market Street and Shelby. Owner Todd Moore says, "when we got notice that they were going to take the banner down, we got this one. They can't take this one so we're going to have on in town still."

A day after the University of Louisville men's basketball team was stripped of its 2013 national championship title and the KFC Yum Center lowered the official banner that hung from its rafters, a bar in downtown Louisville raised another.

Taj Louisville, a bar near the corner of Market and Shelby streets, hung a replica of the 2013 NCAA national championship banner from the front of its building.

"When we got notice that they were going to take the banner down, we got this one," owner Todd Moore said to Courier Journal. "They can't take this one, so we're going to have one in town still."

The bar posted a video of the flag's unveiling to its Instagram account.

"Can't believe we found this just laying (sic) around," the post said.

The NCAA's Infractions Appeals Committee announced on Tuesday that it upheld an earlier ruling that Louisville's men's basketball program must vacate 123 wins, including the 2013 title and 2012 Final Four appearance, as punishment for the school's escort scandal.

It is the first time in modern Division I men's basketball history that a championship was vacated.

Pat McDonogh contributed to this story.