Hawkeyes Must Vacate Wins After NCAA Recruiting Issue

A recruiting violation that the University of Iowa self-reported will now end up costing the football program four wins from the 2023 season.

Recruiting Violation Costs the Hawkeyes

Most Iowa football fans thought that the Cade McNamara recruiting situation had been handled. Hawk Central reports that 20 months ago, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced that he was self-reporting a recruitment violation and would serve a one game suspension. Ferentz admitted contacting quarterback Cade McNamara a day earlier than allowed under NCAA rules. He served his one game suspension, as did assistant coach Jon Budmayr, according to Hawk Central. But that wasn't enough for the NCAA.

Hawkeyes Vacate Four Wins

Tuesday, the NCAA handed down its final verdict. The one game suspensions were fine. But the victories that McNamara played in during the 2023 season would have to be vacated. Hawk Central reports that Iowa went 4-1 in games McNamara played in that season. The NCAA ruled that McNamara would have been ineligible for the 2023 season, but was reinstated for 2024. Iowa's wins with McNamara that season, five, are still on the books.

University of Iowa Issues Statement

Hawk Central reports that Iowa AD Beth Goetz and University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson issued a statement saying they were "very dissapointed" in the NCAA ruling, noting that Ferentz and the football program self-reported the violation when they disovered the wrong doing. Both the University and coach Ferentz have said that the issue is behind them, and they are moving forward.

In addition to vacating the four wins, the NCAA tacked on one year of probation and a $25,000 fine.