Iowa Hawkeyes football stripped of four 2023 wins after NCAA finds improper transfer portal recruiting violations by coaching staff
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Apr 15, 2026, 00:53 IST
Iowa Hawkeyes football stripped of four 2023 wins after NCAA finds improper transfer portal recruiting violations by coaching staff
Iowa Hawkeyes football will forfeit four wins from the 2023 season after an NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions investigation found recruiting violations tied to the transfer portal. Head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant Jon Budmayr were found to have contacted a player before he officially entered the portal, violating NCAA rules. The player is believed to be Cade McNamara, who later transferred to Iowa. Because of the improper contact, the NCAA ruled the player ineligible for the 2023 season, leading to the vacated wins. The program was also placed on one-year probation. Iowa had already imposed penalties, including suspensions for both coaches and recruiting restrictions, which helped limit further punishment. Ferentz accepted responsibility for the violation, acknowledging the impact on the program. The decision leaves a lasting mark on Iowa’s record and reputation.
Iowa Hawkeyes football is set to lose wins from the 2023 season after an NCAA investigation uncovered recruiting violations connected to the transfer portal. The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions announced the decision Tuesday, finding that head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant Jon Budmayr reached out to a player before he had formally entered the transfer portal.
The situation traces back to November 2022, when Iowa's staff made contact with a quarterback who was still on another program's roster. That player is believed to be Cade McNamara, who joined Iowa shortly after entering the portal. During the investigation, officials found several phone calls and messages between the coaching staff and the player, one of which involved Ferentz directly, where the two spoke about him coming to Iowa.
The NCAA determined that the player was ineligible throughout the 2023 season because of the contact, costing Iowa four wins from its official record. The program was also handed a one-year probation period, alongside penalties the school had already put in place on its own.
Before the 2024 season, Ferentz publicly owned the mistake and sat out one game, as did Budmayr. The NCAA considered those suspensions to be fair punishment for the coaches, but pressed ahead with removing the wins regardless. "When respected individuals identify their mistakes and take responsibility for them, it sets the standard," the committee noted in its statement.
The university also introduced a fine and tightened its recruiting operations, cutting back on recruiting days and pausing contact with prospects during one stretch. Those actions played a role in keeping the penalties from getting worse.
Even so, having wins stripped from the record is something that sticks with a program. "I take full responsibility for what happened," Ferentz said, making clear he understood the consequences for everyone involved.
The situation traces back to November 2022, when Iowa's staff made contact with a quarterback who was still on another program's roster. That player is believed to be Cade McNamara, who joined Iowa shortly after entering the portal. During the investigation, officials found several phone calls and messages between the coaching staff and the player, one of which involved Ferentz directly, where the two spoke about him coming to Iowa.
The NCAA determined that the player was ineligible throughout the 2023 season because of the contact, costing Iowa four wins from its official record. The program was also handed a one-year probation period, alongside penalties the school had already put in place on its own.
Before the 2024 season, Ferentz publicly owned the mistake and sat out one game, as did Budmayr. The NCAA considered those suspensions to be fair punishment for the coaches, but pressed ahead with removing the wins regardless. "When respected individuals identify their mistakes and take responsibility for them, it sets the standard," the committee noted in its statement.
The university also introduced a fine and tightened its recruiting operations, cutting back on recruiting days and pausing contact with prospects during one stretch. Those actions played a role in keeping the penalties from getting worse.
Even so, having wins stripped from the record is something that sticks with a program. "I take full responsibility for what happened," Ferentz said, making clear he understood the consequences for everyone involved.