Noah Shannon to serve as honorary captain for Iowa on Senior Day vs. Illinois

Noah Shannon won’t play for Iowa on Saturday, but he’ll still be part of the Senior Day festivities. The Hawkeyes named him an honorary captain for the final home game of the year against Illinois, the program announced Thursday.

Shannon is serving a suspension for gambling-related activities, and the NCAA recently updated its guidelines regarding reinstatement. Athletes who wager on teams at their school will be reinstated after one season of ineligibility and a loss of a year of eligibility, the NCAA announced earlier this month.

That meant Shannon’s career was over — but he’ll still have a presence at Iowa’s Senior Day and be with Iowa’s captains for the coin toss ahead of kickoff.

The Hawkeyes have rallied around Shannon after the NCAA updated its guidelines. Kirk Ferentz has been in his corner and released a blistering statement after the announcement, blasting the NCAA for its decision.

“I am heartbroken for Noah and his family that the NCAA has come to this conclusion,” Ferentz said, via ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “Noah did not break any laws. he did not commit any crimes. And yet he is being severely over-punished by a membership committee that refuses to see perspective or use common sense. I have said many times that I think it is peculiar that the state of Iowa is uniquely the focus of this investigation.

“Noah is being sidelined because the NCAA is ruling on an investigation that they did not instigate, using an uneven system of justice to severely punish an excellent young man. It is just wrong.”

More on Noah Shannon’s suspension

A sixth-year senior, Shannon was a starter for Iowa the last two seasons. Last year, he had 44 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks as he cemented himself as a key part of the defense. However, he found himself in the middle of a gambling investigation into the program, which resulted in the suspension.

Shannon got caught up in the investigation over the summer and backed out of Big Ten Media Days as a result. He tried to appeal the suspension, but it was denied by the NCAA. Now, with Wednesday’s announcement, his college career has come to an end.

“To be clear, Division I members do not encourage student-athletes to engage in sports wagering at any level, and the actions today to modify reinstatement conditions should not be interpreted as support for wagering behaviors,” said Jon Steinbrecher, chair of the Council Coordination Committee and commissioner of the MAC, in a statement. “NCAA members continue to prioritize integrity of competition and felt that reinstatement conditions for violations of wagering rules should reflect that focus and, when possible, also accommodate opportunities for preventative education.”