Iowa AD discusses basketball transfer issues

Former Iowa recruits Cody Larson and Ben Brust were released from their basketball scholarships last week but will not be allowed to play Big Ten basketball with a scholarship, Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said Saturday.

"There is a Big Ten rule that says if you're in the Big Ten, you can't go to another Big Ten institution or if you do, you can't receive another scholarship," Barta said. "Now, there's an appeal process and I've been working with the Big Ten on that part of the equation."

The former recruits were supposed to meet with other Big Ten coaches this weekend with in-home visits. Barta addressed the situation, and here are his remarks.

"Obviously what happened is I contacted the families when we first made the coaching change and I said, we went through that whole process, ‘You have to meet the coaches first, and once you meet the coaches, if you still want a release, I'll grant you a full release.' I've done that.

"I would never do anything to hurt a young person. We've granted them their release. We want them to come to Iowa. We absolutely still want them to come here and they've shown interest in coming here. Related to the Big Ten rule, we'll have to see what happens. It would be an appeal process because it's a Big Ten rule, not an Iowa rule.

"I've been on the phone with the Big Ten the last couple of days talking about how that might or might not work. We'll see where it ends up."

Barta was asked if the athletes knew the Big Ten rule. Here is his response:

"I can't predict if they did or didn't know the rule. Clearly if we didn't communicate well enough, shame on us. We're trying to work through all of that. But in the end, we still want them to come here. There is a Big Ten rule that says if they go to another Big Ten institution, they can't receive a scholarship. There is an appeal process so we'll see where that ends up."

"When we do releases, and we do dozens of them for all of the sports throughout the department, generally I sign the release and the student-athlete goes about their way. If in this case we didn't communicate clearly some of the NCAA rules or the Big Ten rules, I certainly don't want to ever miscommunicate and if we did then that's on us.

"We released them. We didn't put any stipulations. We gave them a full release from the University of Iowa."

Barta also addressed questions about potentially competing against those players:

"I'd prefer they come to Iowa. We recruited them here. They were excited. Now, we changed coaches. In fairness that's why after they met Fran, I said I'd give them their release. I still hope they come here. If they don't, selfishly, and I say that with a smile, I don't want to have to compete against them. But I also, that's probably why the rule was put in place years and years ago. But if that ends up through the appeal process getting passed, then we won't stand in the way."