Reports – Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz and his assistant will be suspended for one game

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and his assistant Jon Budmayr will be suspended for one game for a violation related to the recruitment of transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, according to multiple reports.

Ferentz is the longest-tenured FBS coach in the country and has led Iowa since the 1999 season. Budmayr will serve as the team's wide receivers coach after serving as a special assistant to Ferentz in 2023 and as an offensive analyst in 2022. Media reports say the suspensions are related to an NCAA investigation. Iowa will open the season at home against Illinois State on August 31.

Ferentz is scheduled to speak to reporters on Thursday afternoon to wrap up preseason training camp. The Athletic first reported on the suspensions of Ferentz and Budmayr.

McNamara committed to Iowa on Dec. 1, 2022, just three days after entering the portal as a graduate transfer. He started for Michigan in 2021 as the team won the Big Ten and reached the College Football Playoff, but suffered a season-ending leg injury in the third game of the 2022 season. McNamara battled injuries throughout his time at Iowa, but opened the 2023 season as the team's starter. Although Ferentz announced in July that McNamara was the team's starter, McNamara and Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan competed for the job in camp.

Budmayr, a former Wisconsin quarterback, was offensive coordinator at Colorado State in 2021 before joining Iowa's staff.