The banner still hangs defiantly inside the Carrier Dome, recognizing what many in lacrosse contend was the greatest college team ever.
But since the N.C.A.A. vacated Syracuse’s 1990 national title — its third consecutive championship, with the Gait brothers, Gary and Paul, dominating at the height of their careers — an asterisk has marred one of the storied program’s proudest achievements.
Twenty-five years later, the still-bitter dispute surrounding the N.C.A.A.’s decision to penalize the program over an improper car loan signed by the coach’s wife has been overshadowed by a mystery: Nobody seems to know what happened to the trophy.