Kirk Ferentz on Iowa gambling investigation: ‘I guess we were the chosen ones’

Much of the news coming out about gambling in college athletics has been about players in the state of Iowa; specifically at Iowa and Iowa State.

Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz is not happy the two schools are the only two being heavily investigated for gambling at the moment.

“I guess we were the chosen ones,’ Ferentz said during a media availability Wednesday, according to David Eickholt of 247 Sports.

There are five Hawkeyes football players facing potential punishment for gambling. Starting defensive tackle Noah Shannon, a sixth-year senior, is one of them with Ferentz announcing he is suspended for the entire season.

The decision, Ferentz said Wednesday, Shannon’s suspension due to gambling will be appealed. Shannon did not bet on the Iowa football team but instead bet on a different team at the school, Ferentz told the media.

“In Noah’s case, he has not committed a crime at all, nothing criminal,” Ferentz said via HawkCentral.com. “I just feel like it’s a little bit harsh…I’m hopeful that they’ll reconsider his case.”

Ferentz said he could not comment on the other cases because he had not been given permission by the players to do so.

The athletic department released a statement Tuesday following the report that six wrestlers were being suspended for gambling. Four were suspended for the entire season while two others received partial suspensions.

The department said it would support any athletes going through the appeals process.

“The University of Iowa and the UI Athletics Department have been working cooperatively with the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement (SAR) staff to determine the eligibility of student-athletes who were involved in sports wagering. The institution has received the SAR determinations for the 11 individuals who are current student-athletes,” the statement said. “Because this information is protected through the Family Education Right and Privacy Act (FERPA), specific information will only be released once we have received the student’s consent.”