Iowa football to vacate 4 wins from 2023 season due to tampering violations

Iowa must vacate four wins from its 2023 season as part of an NCAA Committee on Infractions decision over tampering violations by head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant coach Jon Budmayr, the NCAA announced Tuesday.Two years ago, Iowa and Ferentz publicly acknowledged that the coaches communicated with then-Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara late in the 2022 regular season, before he entered the transfer portal. McNamara, who led the Wolverines to the 2021 College Football Playoff before losing his job to J.J. McCarthy, started the first five games for Iowa in 2023, going 4-1 before tearing his ACL. The Hawkeyes went on to post a 10-4 record before losing to Michigan in the Big Ten championship game. Tampering violations occurred in Iowa football program; Football head coach and assistant coach previously resolved their respective violations.https://t.co/O7ETKPVWTY — NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) April 14, 2026The tampering allegations did not surface until later that season. Ferentz and Budmayr subsequently served a self-imposed one-game suspension in the Hawkeyes’ 2024 season opener against Illinois State. The program also imposed several modest recruiting restrictions, including banning Ferentz from two days of off-campus visits last year.Advertisement