Home / Sports / NCAA Punishes Iowa for Coach Tampering
NCAA Punishes Iowa for Coach Tampering
14 Apr
Summary
- Iowa must vacate four wins from its 2023 season.
- Tampering involved contact with QB Cade McNamara before transfer.
- Coach Kirk Ferentz's career win total reduced by four.
The University of Iowa will vacate four victories from its 2023 football season following an NCAA Committee on Infractions ruling concerning tampering violations. The violations involved head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant coach Jon Budmayr.
Two years ago, Iowa acknowledged coaches contacted then-Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara before he entered the transfer portal. McNamara, who led Iowa's offense in 2023, went 4-1 in his starts before an ACL tear. The tampering allegations surfaced later that season.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions found the self-imposed penalties insufficient and ordered the wins vacated, arguing McNamara was ineligible. Iowa contended vacating records is outdated, but the committee disagreed, reducing Ferentz's career wins to 209.
Coach Ferentz expressed disappointment, calling the decision overly harsh and inconsistent with the violation, despite acknowledging his mistake in contacting the player prematurely. The tampering occurred in November 2022 when McNamara was receiving injury treatment in California.
