Iowa football's gambling investigation continues. How much will it impact the season?

Des Moines Register
IOWA CITY — At Big Ten Media Days in late July, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz talked about football. But he also talked about other things.
News stirred leading up to the event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Iowa defensive lineman Noah Shannon was originally supposed to attend Big Ten Media Days but ultimately backed out due to his involvement in the NCAA’s and state of Iowa’s investigation into sports gambling.
So while Ferentz did spend some of the day talking about Michigan transfer Cade McNamara and returning star Cooper DeJean, he also faced a barrage of questions about the gambling situation. One of those questions was about when he hoped the situation would be resolved.
“I would be throwing darts, but obviously, hopeful, earlier in August than later,” Ferentz said in July. “But I have no idea what the process is … It’s pretty much out of our hands at this point.”
It is now the second week of August and the situation has seemingly become more complicated after new information has become public. According to court documents, current and former Iowa players allegedly bet on Hawkeye football games while part of the program. Kicker Aaron Blom allegedly bet the “under total points” of the 2021 Cy-Hawk game. Wide receiver Jack Johnson allegedly placed multiple wagers on Iowa football games.
The news of Johnson’s allegations, along with a few other now-former Hawkeye players, dropped the day before Iowa football media day, which took place on Friday. That meant Ferentz, again, spent time answering questions unrelated to the X’s and O’s.
At one point after a string of gambling-related questions on Friday, a reporter said to Ferentz, “Switching to football for a minute.”
To which Ferentz said, “Oh yeah.”
“I don't know a lot of things right now, and we'll deal with what we do know when it's presented to us,” Ferentz said Friday of the situation.
As Iowa’s season opener against Utah State on Sept. 2 creeps closer, it begs the question: Could this gambling investigation have a major impact on the season?
For multiple reasons, the 2023 season is a great opportunity for Iowa to get to the Big Ten title game.
It has a roster good enough to do so. There is confidence in Iowa’s defense, headlined by DeJean, and cautious optimism surrounding the offense, following the addition of McNamara. And Iowa is still among the teams with the benefit of playing in the substantially weaker West division. With the Big Ten expanding in 2024, the path to a Big Ten Championship Game will become more difficult.
But this gambling investigation is making the leadup to the season far more complicated.
There is a more unquantifiable side to all of this. Being an Iowa football player already means dealing with a considerable amount of external expectations and pressure. The gambling investigation could add more noise and potential distractions for players to deal with.
But it also puts some players’ availability up in the air. According to NCAA rules, a player could permanently lose eligibility if they bet on any sport at their own school. That means Blom might not be able to play again at Iowa, potentially putting the Hawkeyes in an undesirable situation kicking-wise. On Friday, Ferentz said Iowa is adding depth to that room to accompany expected starting kicker Drew Stevens.
At this point, all that is public regarding Shannon’s situation is that he is involved in the NCAA’s investigation. Iowa is deep on the defensive line, but if the Hawkeyes were to lose the veteran for an extended time, it would be a blow.
“One big thing for me is I’ve been telling myself: I’m not going to let this define me in any way, shape or form,” Shannon said Friday. “Life goes on. So whenever — I don’t know when the NCAA will come out with the ruling, but I’ll be ready.”
Part of the equation, too, is the uncertainty of it all. Asked in July about whether Iowa players bet on their own games, Ferentz said: “Again, there’s a lot of stuff we don’t know. I’d like to think I would’ve known that by now. I think that probably would’ve come down to us.”
By now, multiple allegations have surfaced that Iowa players bet on Hawkeye games, suggesting Ferentz is in the dark about things as well.
Asked on Friday whether that information — regarding players allegedly betting on their own games — was brought to his attention after Big Ten Media Days, Ferentz said: “Yep.”
“It's a moving target, and that's where clarity will really help us,” Ferentz said. “Right now, I don't know that anybody knows facts other than we are dealing with a situation.”
Put together, does this have enough impact to drastically change the outcome of Iowa’s 2023 season? Perhaps so. Perhaps not.
But the margin for error is likely not very large. Look no further than last season as an example. Iowa lost to Iowa State and Illinois each by three points. The Hawkeyes beat South Dakota State by four and Minnesota by three. The Hawkeyes were one win away from making an appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game but lost to Nebraska by seven points.
This is to say that one missing player or one misstep can change the direction of a season. The gambling investigation adds another variable to a season in which Iowa is already juggling a fair amount.
"We're going to play regardless," Ferentz said. "We're going to play. But right now, we'll wait and see. That's just the way it goes."