The NCAA announced Tuesday that the Iowa Hawkeyes will vacate four wins from their 2023 season after finding the program guilty of recruiting violations involving tampering.
The violations center around impermissible contact with a quarterback before he entered the transfer portal in November 2022.
Kirk Ferentz and assistant coach Jon Budmayr made unauthorized contact with the player, leading to tampering charges from the NCAA. The quarterback in question was Cade McNamara, though Ferentz didn’t mention him by name in his statement.
The NCAA ruled McNamara’s recruitment was impermissible due to the early contact.
Iowa officials strongly disagreed with the decision. University president Bob Wilson and athletic director Beth Goetz released a joint statement expressing their disappointment.
“We are very disappointed in today’s ruling by the Committee on Infractions. Throughout this nearly two-and-a-half-year process, the University has fully cooperated with the NCAA enforcement staff. More importantly, when the facts revealed that violations had taken place, the institution and the head coach publicly accepted full responsibility and self-imposed several significant sanctions, something few others have done.”
The statement called the forfeiture of wins “unwarranted.”
Ferentz acknowledged his mistake but criticized the severity of the punishment. He already served a one-game suspension at the start of the 2023 season as a self-imposed penalty.
“I am disappointed by the NCAA’s decision today. Throughout the process, our program has been open and honest about my mistake – contacting a potential player in the hours before it was permissible by NCAA rules.”
The coach called the NCAA’s decision to vacate wins “overly harsh and inconsistent with the violation.”
The penalties include several components beyond the vacated wins. Iowa faces one year of probation, a $25,000 fine, and a two-week recruiting ban.
But losing those four wins creates the biggest impact on the program’s record.
The Hawkeyes finished 10-4 in 2023, including a Big Ten Championship Game appearance. They lost to eventual national champion Michigan 26-0 in Indianapolis before falling in their bowl game.
With the four wins vacated, Iowa’s regular season record drops to 6-6. Adding the bowl loss makes them 6-7 overall for 2023.
The team still qualifies as bowl eligible under the 6-6 standard, but it’s a significant blow to what was considered a successful season.
Iowa played in the Big Ten title game that year, representing the West Division. The championship game appearance remains valid since it’s based on conference standings, not overall record.
McNamara transferred to Iowa from Michigan after the 2022 season. He started multiple games for the Hawkeyes in 2023 before suffering a season-ending injury.
The NCAA’s investigation lasted nearly two and a half years. Iowa cooperated fully throughout the process, according to university officials.
Ferentz emphasized moving forward from the situation.
“As I tell our team and staff, it is how you respond and move forward that defines you. Our focus is on the 2026 season and that is how we are moving forward.”
The matter is now officially closed, allowing Iowa to focus on the upcoming season without the investigation hanging over the program.
