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The Iowa Hawkeyes football program has received another punishment from the NCAA for player gambling violations, with star DT Noah Shannon earning a full season suspension.
The Iowa Gaming and Racing Commission ran a state-wide probe that was announced in May, and many athletes from Iowa and Iowa State were caught in the crossfire. 26 athletes from Iowa and 15 more from the rival Cyclones were charged for gambling infractions and a violation of NCAA rules.
Athletes from multiple sports were announced as violators, and among them was the two-year starting DT for the Hawkeyes. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz came to his star's defense, and felt the punishment should be lessened compared to some of the others.
“In Noah’s case, he has not committed a crime at all,” Ferentz said, per Scott Dochterman of The Athletic. “So nothing criminal. I just feel like it’s a little bit harsh to me personally, and just I’m hopeful that they’ll reconsider his case.
Shannon is in the process of appealing the suspension with the help of the Iowa Athletic Department. According to his coach, he was not one of the players who bet on their own team, which would lead to a lifetime ban from the NCAA according to their new rules.
“I know he bet on one of our other sports teams here, and I understand that may be a bad thing. He bet for them, and I’m guessing he got caught up in the emotion,” Ferentz said of the wagers.
The NCAA is cracking down on any sponsored sports with new regulations released in June. This includes pro sports, which have a staggered suspension punishment based on the total dollars wagered. They are much stricter about an athlete placing bets on their school, and even more so on their own team while a member.