The NCAA ruled on Tuesday that Iowa committed tampering violations when head coach Kirk Ferentz and an assistant made impermissible contact with a player in November 2022 before he entered the transfer portal.
Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr previously resolved their respective violations in the case. However, the school had argued that one of the penalties it faced — the vacation of team records — was outdated, prompting the need for a hearing with the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions.
The hearing panel said Tuesday that the vacation of records penalty was appropriate in this case but did acknowledge that the changing sports landscape requires a regular review of its rules and consequences.
“Changes to historical practice — particularly around what violations trigger student-athlete ineligibility and how ineligible competition is penalized — should be made by more traditional governance committees through the governance and legislative process,” the panel said. “The COI is open to reevaluating the violations that trigger ineligibility or how ineligible competition should be penalized, but it would be inappropriate to do so in the context of a single infractions case and outside of the legislative process.”
In addition to a vacation of all records in which the player competed, the full list of prescribed penalties includes one year of probation for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa’s self-imposed penalties that were accepted by the NCAA included one-game suspensions for Ferentz and Budmayr (served in 2024), a $25,000 fine, a 24-day reduction in recruiting time in 2025, and a two-week ban on football recruiting communication during the 2026 calendar year.
“When respected individuals identify their mistakes and take responsibility for them, it sets the standard for appropriate behavior within their programs, universities and, more importantly, across the broader industry,” the panel said. “The panel appreciates the actions taken by Iowa and Ferentz to publicly address his and his staff member’s conduct.”
The NCAA did not name the player in question, previously identified as quarterback Cade McNamara. According to the panel, Budmayr made 13 phone calls and sent two text messages to the student-athlete and/or his father, and arranged for a phone call with Ferentz.
McNamara, who transferred from Michigan, participated in five games for the Hawkeyes in 2023. Iowa was 4-1 in those contests and finished the season with a 10-4 record. The victories against Utah State, Iowa State, Western Michigan and Michigan State will be vacated.
Ferentz, the head coach at Iowa since 1999, will see his career total reduced from 213 wins to 209.
–Field Level Media
