Kirk Ferentz has a press conference today, but Iowa officials are indicating an ongoing NCAA investigation is going to preclude Iowa's head coach from discussing said probe.
But Ferentz is suspended for Iowa's season-opening contest Aug. 31 against FCS program Illinois State, which last year finished 6-5. Wideouts coach Jon Budmayr also is suspended for the contest.
"I frequently tell our players abide by the rules, and in this instance I did not," Ferentz was quoted as saying in an Iowa press release. "In 26 years a head coach at Iowa -- and more than four decades as a coach -- this is my first potential Level II NCAA infraction.
"I made a mistake and would like to apologize to our players, University leadership, and our Hawkeye football fans. I know Coach Budmayr echoes those sentiments."
Iowa is taking the step of self-imposing the one-game suspensions on Ferentz and Budmayr in a bit of preemptive strike in the NCAA's probe, which centers on impermissible contact with a player (quarterback Cade McNamara, who eventually transferred to Iowa from Michigan).
Iowa's own release acknowledged that "the issue involved communications with a player and his family prior to him entering the (NCAA) transfer portal."
"Coach Ferentz and I made the decision to self-impose the penalties," Iowa A.D. Beth Goetz said in the same university release, "allowing the program to move forward without distraction.
"I appreciate the accountability demonstrated and we will continue to fully cooperate with the NCAA through the process."
The NCAA divides its violations into a four-tier scale in its code of conduct, with Level I being the worse or a "severe breach of conduct."
A Level II violation, as Ferentz alludes to, is termed a "significant breach of conduct."
Iowa is tabbing Seth Wallace as the team's interim head coach for the opening contest; he's been with the program in a full-time capacity since 2014, being elevated earlier this spring to assistant head coach in addition to his defensive duties.