The NCAA ruled on Tuesday that Iowa committed tampering violations when head coach Kirk Ferentz and an assistant made impermissible contact with then-Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara in November 2022 before he entered the transfer portal.
Penalties include the vacation of four wins from the 2023 season in which McNamara participated, a decision that Ferentz called “overly harsh” and school officials characterized as “unwarranted.”
Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr previously resolved their respective violations in the case. However, the school had argued that the vacation of records penalty was outdated, which prompted the need for a hearing with the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions.
According to the panel, Budmayr made 13 phone calls and sent two text messages to McNamara and/or his father, and arranged for a phone call with Ferentz.
McNamara 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.
Ferentz issued a statement expressing his disappointment with the NCAA’s decision.
“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,” he said. “… I believe today’s decision by the NCAA vacating four wins in our 2023 season is overly harsh and inconsistent with the violation.
“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.”
Iowa president Barb Wilson and athletic director Beth Goetz released a joint statement.
“We are very disappointed in today’s ruling by the Committee on Infractions,” it read. “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. We believe the decision of adding the penalty of the forfeiture of wins is unwarranted. The matter is now closed, and we have moved forward.”
In addition to the vacated wins, the penalties also include 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 (already served), 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.”
–Field Level Media
