Iowa Football and Kirk Ferentz Accused of Tampering Violations by NCAA

Iowa State Football Program Faces Tampering Allegations

The Iowa State football program is in hot water as the NCAA announced on Tuesday that four wins from the 2023 season will be forfeited due to serious allegations of tampering.

Named in the violation notice are head coach Kirk Ferentz, assistant coach John Budmayer, and the program as a whole.

According to the NCAA, the Hawkeyes had direct contact with a student-athlete from another institution who hadn’t entered the transfer portal for the 2023 season. The notice also claims that Budmayer reached out to the player’s parents prior to the portal’s opening.

The NCAA stated there were 13 phone calls and two text messages exchanged between Budmayer and the parents.

Reports indicate that Budmayer set up a phone call with the student-athletes and head coach Kirk Ferentz. The head coach is said to have assured the player a warm welcome at Iowa. Just days after the portal opened, the athlete committed to the Hawkeyes.

“Under current NCAA rules, if a student-athlete transfers to a school where he or she committed misconduct, that student-athlete will be disqualified until reinstated,” according to a release. This athlete played in five games for the Hawkeyes during the 2023 season.

Iowa State appealed the NCAA’s ruling, labeling the suspension as “outdated,” but the appeal was denied.

The NCAA committee remarked, “When respected individuals recognize their mistakes and take responsibility for them, it sets the standard for appropriate behavior within their programs, universities, and, more importantly, the broader industry.” They appreciated the actions taken by the State of Iowa and Ferentz to publicly address the conduct of him and his staff.

Furthermore, changes to how violations lead to disqualification for student-athletes and the penalties for ineligible competition will be considered through traditional governance committees in future processes. The committee is hesitant to redefine what offenses should trigger disqualification based on a singular incident.