Kirk Ferentz, Iowa still ‘waiting on the NCAA’ for Noah Shannon’s eligibility status
The Iowa Hawkeyes are still hoping to get good news at some point on the eligibility status of sixth-year defensive lineman Noah Shannon.
Ruled ineligible for the entirety of this season by the NCAA for his sports gambling violations, there was hope that the NCAA’s infractions committee would rethink their punishment on appeal. After Shannon’s eligibility appeal was denied in early September, that appeared to close the book on him ever suiting up for the black and gold again.
The 6-foot, 295 pound defensive lineman from Aurora, Ill., would end his Hawkeye career with 107 career tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks across 42 games played and 28 starts. Shannon had already transitioned into a role as one of the Hawkeyes’ student assistants.
Then, news broke that the Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement and Legislative Committee would reexamine sports wagering reinstatement guidelines.
Specifically, the committees were set to review penalties for student-athletes who participate in sports wagering, but not on their own teams. One of the draft concepts under consideration was eliminating penalties that result in student-athletes being withheld from competition on a first offense.
That would apply in Shannon’s case and would mean that he’s suddenly eligible to play for the Hawkeyes in his sixth and final season.
Though Shannon has been cleared to practice by the NCAA and is back on the Hawkeyes’ active roster, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said on Tuesday that there still isn’t any clarity on when or if he will indeed be eligible to return this season.
“He looks good in pads and he practices well. That hasn’t changed. He’s got fresh legs, too, I guess. But, we’re just waiting on the NCAA, so hopefully they’ll do the right thing. How soon that’s going to be, if it’s one call, two calls, I don’t know.
“It’s okay. I mean, time’s ticking. He’s getting older. All of us are getting older and hopefully it’s sooner than later they make a decision. I say it jokingly, it’s really not very funny. In fact, it’s not funny at all. Yeah, we’ll see. I don’t know. I don’t have any firm date on what’s going to happen or when,” Ferentz said.
Iowa hosts Minnesota this week at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale. After this week’s contest against the Golden Gophers, Iowa gets a week off with its bye before traveling to Chicago to square off against Northwestern from Wrigley Field on Nov. 4.
Ferentz was asked if the Northwestern game was a realistic timeline for Shannon’s potential return.
“If they call tomorrow, that would be great. To me they probably could have done it in June. That’s my, looking at this whole thing. But that’s discussion for a different day, too.
“If they wanted to call tomorrow, it would be outstanding. We’ll have him out there Saturday if they do. I don’t think that’s going to happen. I don’t know when it’s going to happen,” Ferentz said.
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