INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is still unclear about the status of players on his team involved in an NCAA investigation into gambling within the Hawkeyes’ athletic program.
Twenty-six athletes in Iowa, along with 15 athletes at Iowa State, are involved in the investigation, which began last May.
Ferentz said during his press conference at the Big Ten’s football media days that “not a large number” of Iowa football players are involved. Defensive lineman Noah Shannon, who was originally scheduled to attend the media days, withdrew from attending because he was one of the players under investigation, saying that because the investigation wasn’t completed, “I don’t feel it is right for me to represent the team.”
Ferentz said the uncertainty of the status of the players involved hasn’t changed any planning for the season.
“Long story short, we don't know what the outcome is going to be,” Ferentz said. “I don't think anyone condones gambling, especially on the college game. I do think that being said, I have learned a lot the past two months just about gambling. I never really paid attention to it, other than we signed a form, probably the same form we signed when I was playing.
“I think our world's changed dramatically. Anybody who does pay attention to gambling knows that better than I, certainly the last couple of years. We live in a real different world right now.”
NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from betting on sports, college or professional, that the organization sponsors.
“I think your No. 1 concern is, is anyone gambling on your team,” Ferentz said. “That’s what the instruction should be about. I don’t have any knowledge on anything like that. From my vantage point, from what I know, which is limited, it could be probably players — I don’t think Alaska plays football — but I think there’s college football players in 49 states who could be the same. That’s my take on this thing.”
Ferentz said Shannon “may or may not have broken NCAA rules. Time will tell. He’s not broken any laws or rules.”
“I get to see that side of it. I know how it’s affected him,” Ferentz added. “He feels badly that he’s even involved in this.”
Ferentz said the players involved have been practicing.
“Those guys are part of the team,” Ferentz said. “Hopefully we know sooner rather than later what any consequences, if any, are. My encouragement is we should ramp up our education efforts nationally. I know in our environment, it’s probably a good thing.
“We’ll deal with whatever the results are. I would like to know, sooner rather than later. I have no control over that.”
Ferentz said that his only foray into gambling was “playing cards in college.”
“Gambling is going to exist,” he said. “It always has. I hope eventually the policies will reflect what's best for college athletics. Certainly not betting on college athletics would be a good starting point.”
Ferentz would like to see the NCAA make changes to its policy.
“I'm hopeful this is an opportunity with the NCAA to maybe reconsider two things — what the, quote/unquote, punishments or penalties might be that are, I would say, fair and relevant to the world we're living in right now,” he said. “And then probably the bigger thing is there's an opportunity right now, I think, for a better education process, if you will.”
Other Ferentz comments:
ON THE TRANSFER PORTAL: “The answer is what's changed is our world,” Ferentz said. “We're living in a very different world as college football coaches than we were three years ago, five years ago, ten years ago. There are examples in the past of transfers having great success and working out for both parties.
“Now, the way we're operating now is just going to be part of the terrain moving forward unless we see change. We're just going to try to incorporate our same process, if you will, with it, and there's also some benefit to it. There's some advantages to getting guys that have played and competed already at a high level. I think the big thing like all of us, whether it was in recruiting or now looking at the portal, we're trying to get players to fit with what your program deems to be important. So that was our process and I really feel good about it.”
ON IOWA’S OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES FROM LAST SEASON: “Our numbers have been, I think, pretty good offensively up until the last two years,” Ferentz said. “I can get as grandiose as you want, tell you about the injuries at receiver a year ago, how we looked in spring versus September. I can tell you about the offensive line the last two years. I'm not going to bore you with those details, but there are reasons. That's part of my job is to assess those things in a rational approach, if you will.
“I feel like we've made the right steps. Time will tell. Like everything else we do, time will tell.”
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