Kirk Ferentz says gambling is a big issue in our whole country; plus more Iowa notes – The Athletic

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa Through four-plus months in 2023, Iowas athletic department has engaged in enough drama to warrant a timeout, Yahoo columnist Dan Wetzel said on his College Football Enquirer podcast this past week.

From bringing back Brian Ferentz as offensive coordinator to athletics director Gary Bartas instituting a contracted 25-points-per-game mandate to a state-forced settlement in a racial discrimination lawsuit to now a gambling scandal, Iowa football certainly has found itself in the center of headlines and controversy. Then theres womens basketball star Caitlin Clarks success, Angel Reeses gesture at Clark after the Hawkeyes lost the womens national title, and mens basketball coach Fran McCafferys staredown of an official during an epic comeback.

We havent even reached Memorial Day and sports radio has enough topics to bump up its ratings for an entire year. On deck are the 2024 Iowa Caucuses, and at some point, someone will complain about the lack of organic almond milk for their lukewarm morning latte. Alas, maybe we all need a timeout.

This week, Iowa coaches hit the I-Club trail with three trips: Carroll County, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. Kirk Ferentz and mens wrestling coach Tom Brands participated in all three, and McCaffery attended the first two. Mens basketball assistant Matt Gatens spoke at the final spot.

Plenty of topics were addressed by all three sports, but lets start with the topic de jour.

GO DEEPER

Iowa, Iowa State athletes under investigation for online sports wagers

Gambling investigations at Iowa and Iowa State have become prominent national stories with 41 combined athletes implicated in five sports: football (both), wrestling (both), mens track and field (both), baseball (Iowa) and mens basketball (Iowa).

Athletes who compete in spring sports are being withheld from competition as Iowas Division of Criminal Investigation, the NCAA and Iowas Racing and Gaming Commission investigate this situation. Brian Ohorilko, the administrator for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, said there were no integrity markers to suggest anyone was betting on their own sport or worse. Ohorilkos organization is assisting DCI with potential criminal conduct, which could be related to underage betting or fraudulent means of access to gaming apps. No charges have been filed.

The NCAA provides clear direction in gambling that athletes cannot bet on sports in which it sponsors championships. That includes pro football, basketball, baseball and even golf. When dispensing penalties, it often comes down to money wagered, according to one school source who has knowledge of the investigation but is not authorized to speak about it. One example is former Virginia Tech linebacker Alan Tisdale, who initially was suspended for nine games for placing more than 100 bets totaling around $400 on the 2022 NBA Finals. He appealed the suspension, and it was cut to six games. Thats still half of the college football season.

The mens track and field teams and Iowas baseball team are competing in their seasons latter stages, and their appeal for information is more urgent. As for the others, its about patience.

Quite frankly, we still dont have a lot of details, Kirk Ferentz said. We are being cooperative, and well continue to be cooperative. Well see where it all goes.

Id venture to say gambling is a big issue in our whole country right now. I remember back in the 80s, FBI agents used to come in and talk to our team, and I was amazed. They threw out estimates of what they thought was going on in Iowa City in those times. I read the other day, its $2.5 billion last year in our state. So its in our face, its accessible to pretty much everybody, and well just see what all comes out of this.

The Iowa and Iowa State athletic departments introduce gambling education and awareness to their athletes, among other life topics, through the compliance office.

I dont really pay attention to gambling, Ferentz said, but Ive learned a lot in the last (few) days.

Iowa football and mens basketball picked up transfers within the past two weeks. The mens basketball team landed Valparaiso forward Ben Krikke, who led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring (19.7 points per game) and averaged 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Krikke (6 feet 9, 220 pounds) totaled 1,596 points in three seasons.

Former Belmont center Even Brauns (6-9, 240) committed to Iowa this past week. An Iowa City West graduate, Brauns averaged 7.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks last year. The Hawkeyes still have one available scholarship for 2023-24, but its undetermined whether they will use it.

In front of a crowd of about 450 in Carroll, McCaffery lauded his new newcomers but lamented how name, image and likeness and the transfer portal have had an impact on his sport.

(Recruiting) has changed dramatically, in particular in our sport, as it relates to NIL and the transfer portal because now it has become pay-to-play, McCaffery said. That is unfortunate, but it is reality. And I think a lot of people dont truly understand what that means. They think NIL is a big negative thing. Its a positive thing, because it enables our student-athletes to connect with the business community in ways that were not allowed before.

The difficulty is when the transfer pool was instituted at the same time, it became pay-for-play. The transfer portal is the NCAAs mistake in declaring every athlete a free agent at every point in time. Its not how it works in any other sports entity. In the NFL, MLB, the NBA, the players collectively bargain with the owners. I think we all know and understand that when the NCAA mens basketball tournament and TV package gets in the billion dollars range, its only fair for the players to share in some of that compensation. They should have been more proactive, and they were not. Thats on them.

Iowa football picked up former Ohio State receiver Kaleb Brown, a 2022 top-80 recruit, last week. Brown is one of three transfer commitments who will arrive in June, joining Virginia linebacker Nick Jackson and Miami (Ohio) offensive lineman Rusty Feth.

I really feel good about the kind of people that have joined our program and I think what theyll bring to our program, Ferentz said. Not only are we getting some guys that were pretty good players, but theyre going to be guys that really help continue to give us a leadership base and younger guys can model good behavior watching them.

GO DEEPER

Former Ohio State WR Kaleb Brown commits to Iowa

Four Iowa players became NFL Draft picks last month, including three in the top 34 selections. Green Bay drafted Lukas Van Ness No. 13, which was the highest Iowa defensive lineman selected since Alex Karras went 10th in 1958.

Most of the focus last month was set on All-America linebacker Jack Campbells going No. 18 to Detroit. Most projections had Campbell as a second-round selection.

Ferentz, who has coached 13 first-rounders, said he had no inkling the Lions would take Campbell or tight end Sam LaPorta, whom Detroit selected three picks into the second round. But Ferentz was confident in Campbells ability to live up to the pressure.

I saw Jack Campbell as a first-round player, and the experts werent quite seeing it that way, Ferentz said. But when youre around somebody for four years, five years, you really get a good feel of who they are and what they are. The draft doesnt always go the way you predict it. But Im not at all surprised that he was taken. Hes just done so many great things in our program, and hes such a quality person, a really good football player. I think hell have a long, really successful career.

The Hawkeyes have 43 players on NFL rosters, plus others who might pick up opportunities before training camp.

Iowa's NFL players

Atlanta

TE Parker Hesse

CB Matt Hankins

Baltimore

C Tyler Linderbaum

LB Kristian Welch

S Geno Stone

Buffalo

S Micah Hyde

DE A.J. Epenesa

OL Ike Boettger

Chicago

CB Michael Ojemudia

Dallas

DL Chauncey Golston

Denver

LB Josey Jewell

CB Riley Moss

LB Seth Benson

Detroit

LB Jack Campbell

TE Sam LaPorta

T Matt Nelson

Green Bay

OLB Lukas Van Ness

RB Tyler Goodson

Houston

LB Christian Kirksey

DB Desmond King

Jacksonville

G Brandon Scherff

QB C.J. Beathard

OL Coy Cronk

Kansas City

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette

L.A. Rams

OL Alaric Jackson

DL Zach VanValkenburg

L.A. Chargers

LB Nick Niemann

Minnesota

TE T.J. Hockenson

New England

C James Ferentz

DT Carl Davis

OL Riley Reiff

N.Y. Giants

LS Casey Kreiter

S Dane Belton

Pittsburgh

G James Daniels

FB Monte Pottebaum

San Francisco

TE George Kittle

Seattle

TE Noah Fant

Tampa Bay

T Tristan Wirfs

OLB Anthony Nelson

S Kaevon Merriweather

Tennessee

S Amani Hooker

LB Ben Niemann

K Caleb Shudak

Free agents:

DL Jaleel Johnson

CB Josh Jackson

CB Greg Mabin

(In NFL last year)

DB Jake Gervase

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Kirk Ferentz says gambling is a big issue in our whole country; plus more Iowa notes - The Athletic