Iowa's Kirk Ferentz Reportedly Suspended For One Game Of The 2024 Season For Recruiting Violation

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz will be suspended for one game of the 2024 college football season, along with assistant Jon Budmayr. 

According to The Athletic, both Iowa coaches will have to sit out one game due to violations that stem from their recruitment of transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, which dates back to 2022. The violations occurred when Iowa coaches started contacting McNamara before the transfer portal opened. 

The reported suspension is related to an NCAA investigation into the matter, but according to the report, whether the suspension is coming from Iowa or the NCAA is unclear at the moment. The Iowa head coach is scheduled to meet with the media on Thursday afternoon, where I would imagine he addresses the suspension. 

After playing three seasons at Michigan, quarterback Cade McNamara decided to enter the transfer portal to look for more playing time and a new home. But it's alleged that Iowa made contact with the former Wolverines quarterback before he filed his paperwork to enter the portal. 

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz will reportedly be suspended for one-game of the 2024 season for recruitment of Cade McNamara  (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Also serving a suspension will be wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr, who had recruited McNamara while he was coaching at Wisconsin. 

As for McNamara, the Hawkeyes quarterback is currently in a battle with Brendan Sullivan, who transferred from Northwestern. 

Did The NCAA Get Iowa's Kirk Ferentz For ‘Tampering’? 

If the NCAA defines this as tampering, it would certainly be fascinating to see what they have uncovered with regards to tampering at other schools. Maybe the communication with McNamara from Iowa coaches was so blatant that they had to pull the trigger on an investigation. But either way, whether it's Iowa self-imposing the suspension, or the NCAA, I'm surprised to see a coach being punished for contacting a player before entering the portal, as this feels like an everyday occurrence now in college football. 

This could also stem from the assistant coach making contact with McNamara before he entered the portal without Ferentz  knowing, but since he's the head coach, he would also have to serve a suspension. 

Iowa will open the season with Illinois State on August 31st, and are looking for success in a new-looking Big Ten conference, with the four additions. 

As for how this came about, I would think Iowa doesn't say much, and keeps it at "recrutiing violation." But if someone else turned in the Hawkeyes for speaking with a player too early, I would think Kirk Ferentz is not a happy man.