The NCAA has vacated wins for Iowa football in 2023 due to a recruiting violation involving head coach Kirk Ferentz and Cade McNamara. This follows a previous one-game suspension for Ferentz and assistant coach Jon Budmayr.
On Monday, April 14 the NCAA announced its final word over a reported Iowa football recruiting violation from 2022, which involved impermissible contact with Cade McNamara. Head coach Kirk Ferentz and Hawkeyes assistant coach Jon Budmayr were previously suspended for one game that season, but now, wins are vacated for the 2023 games in which McNamara participated. (Iowa went 4-1 in those games). **More:** NCAA vacates Iowa football wins over Kirk Ferentz's 2022 recruiting violation Here's how social media reacted to the additional punishment:
The NCAA taking a stand against Kirk Ferentz is certainly a choice
— badnewsCATS (@bbnhoopers) April 14, 2026 Is there anything more on-brand for the NCAA than punishing Iowa football and Kirk Ferentz of all programs for this?
— Boilers and Beyond (@BoilersBeyond) April 14, 2026 lol the bad boy of college football: Kirk Ferentz
— Chris Gogel (@C\_Gogel) April 14, 2026 Schools blatantly cheating but the NCAA is worried about Kirk sending a text 5 minutes before the portal opened.
— Hawks by a Million (@asbraner) April 14, 2026 Are you serious with this @NCAA?! Of all the nonsense this is what you choose to focus on?! I wonder, would it have been better if KF hadn’t voluntarily suspended himself for a game? Whatever this was is happening in pretty much every high level portal situation.
— Let’s Go Hawks ☺️ (@HawkeyeMommeye) April 14, 2026 So let me get this straight Iowa is getting punished which is fine, but to act like Iowa was the only school doing this is absurd. The under the table crap that has been happening for years is mind boggling.
— OnIowaGoHawkeyes (@OHawkeyes) April 14, 2026 What a complete and utter joke. Absolutely mind blowing. Meanwhile, Michigan still has its Football Natty.
— Brett Ridge (@HawkeyeHuddle2) April 14, 2026 pic.twitter.com/wl9D3VDWxF
— HAWK\_GUYS (@HAWK\_GUYS) April 14, 2026 The NCAA is such a joke😂😂
Kirk Ferentz's recruiting violation led to the NCAA vacating Iowa football's wins for the 2023 season in which Cade McNamara participated.
Iowa football won four games in 2023 before the NCAA vacated those wins due to the recruiting violation.
The recruiting violation involved impermissible contact with Cade McNamara, which prompted the NCAA's disciplinary actions against Iowa football.
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— Brad Honcho (@HonchoMonchoHwk) April 14, 2026 I feel like this is one instance where I'm a little miffed that the NCAA singled Iowa out (again) but am proud of the way the University and Ferentz handled it. Professionally. So no, I'm not happy with it, but I'm happy with how it was handled.
— Cherie (@leftwingecho) April 14, 2026 *This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Social media reacts to Kirk Ferentz's recruiting violation punishment*