During his press conference Friday at Iowa football’s media day, Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz had much to say about off-the-field events. Ferentz discussed the state of Iowa’s ongoing investigation into sports gambling and the impacts of the Big Ten Conference’s expansion into the West Coast, taking a measured approach to each.
Ferentz opened up his media session by detailing how the football program is handling the recent criminal charges filed against former Hawkeyes as well as players who are still on the roster, including backup kicker and punter Aaron Blom and wide receiver Jack Johnson. The duo were each accused of underage wagering on sports, with Blom and Johnson betting specifically on Iowa football games.
Hawkeye starting defensive tackle Noah Shannon, who admitted to gambling before Big Ten Media Days, is an exception to the rule. Ferentz said Shannon was not criminally charged and described the Aurora, Illinois, native as “one of the best kids we have on our football team.”
“He’s a strong, respected leader, tremendous young person, and has been nothing other, from my standpoint, than a model football player for us,” Ferentz said. “I’m proud of the fact that he did come forward and say, ‘I’m not sure I want to go to Indianapolis. I don’t think it’s right right now, fair to our football team,’ and that gives you a little indication into his character, I think.”
Ferentz said each player is in their own “holding pattern,” explaining how two of the three are practicing. He then clarified that Shannon was recently injured.
During player media availability in the afternoon, Shannon was present and talked to reporters.
“I’m just waiting for the NCAA to kind of release their discipline,” Shannon said. “I love that camp started because it’s a way for me to just lost in my work. Definitely been watching a lot of film with the young guys and coaching them up out here … it helps me not think of stuff off the field.”
Blom and Johnson did not attend the session.
On Aug. 2, the Hawkeyes signed walk-on punter Ty Nissen from Iowa Western Community College.
As for the gambling investigation as a whole, Ferentz noted it was reminiscent of when the FBI presented the issue during team meetings during the 1980s. As for comparing the past to the present, the 68-year-old coach defined it as a matter of simplicity.
“I’m not saying we’re ramming it down people’s throats, but it’s pretty easy to get there,” he said. “It’s pretty prevalent. No kidding we might have some guys involved. I think we have to rethink our educational process, as well, make that a big thing.”
Ferentz said that he and the football staff discuss the NCAA’s regulations against student-athlete wagering with players annually but also maintained that the NCAA policy should be flexible amidst changing times.
“I would say it’s not a direct parallel, but the drug usage or drug testing policies of the NCAA changed radically in the last five years, probably because most states have legalized marijuana,” Ferentz said. “I’m not saying I know what the happy medium is or where it should be, but it’s pretty obvious that it’s time for discussion about this.”
“My sense is the NCAA is very sensitive to that. I don’t think they’re oblivious to this thing,” Ferentz continued. “I think we’ve got new leadership there, and they seem to be a lot more in touch with what’s going on today, currently, and that’s a good thing.”
When asked about the Big Ten’s recent acquisitions of Oregon and Washington, who are each set to join the conference in 2024, Ferentz joked that there could be a team on Mars and conferences would still extend an invitation.
After his quip, Ferentz said that the expansion of the Big Ten as well as other conferences is a means of furthering “entertainment” for college football, but that such entertainment does not profoundly impact his squad.
While he said he preferred a West Coast bowl game as opposed to having an 11 a.m. start time out west, Ferentz was determined to not let any extra travel hamper his team.
“Again, it doesn’t affect our world all that much,” Ferentz said. “It won’t affect our players all that much, other than coming back from a West Coast trip and getting here at 6:00 in the morning, kind of like Nevada did after they left here last year. That’s hard, but you make it work. You figure it out, make it work that week, and keep going.”