LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- University of Louisville athletic director Josh Heird said in an email to fans Monday that a new banner commemorating the Cardinals' 2013 national championship will be raised Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center.

U of L has only called the Feb. 18 game against Clemson a, "2013 Team Recognition" when it published a list of game themes earlier this year, with the descriptor: "The Cardinals will honor the iconic 2013 team with various promotions and recognitions."

Louisville had to remove all mention of the championship from its publications,  from public spaces in the arena and from all of its facilities in the wake of an impermissible benefits scandal related to stripper parties at the players' dorm. The banners for the championship and the Final Four appearance in 2012, were removed from the arena.

But Monday, Heird told fans that, while it isn't perfect, the new banner will read "2013 Final Coaches Poll #1."

"After productive communication with the NCAA staff and Committee on Infractions, we can recognize our former student-athletes in this way, and we're grateful to the NCAA for their guidance," Heird wrote to fans.

In a news conference last month, Heird acknowledged that fans have a right to commemorate those events.

"There were a lot of really good memories and moments that were created by those student athletes and that team, and I absolutely think they should be recognized for that in some form or fashion," Heird said. "So that's what we're going to try to do.

"Obviously, we want to give the opportunity to (that team) and to our fans to recognize those achievements," Heird said. "And so that's the Clemson game, I believe (on Feb. 18). So we're going to do everything that we're allowed to do. Are we going to have some conversations about some things that we're allowed to do? Yes, we will do that from an NCAA standpoint. And once again, looking at the entirety of the picture, you know, in that NCAA case decision, those sanctions, it was very clear that we cannot recognize various teams in any form or fashion from a public standpoint. But is there an opportunity? Or is there a path forward to try to do that? We're going to try."

The game Saturday begins at 7 p.m. at the KFC Yum! Center.

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