Noah Shannon’s appeal of NCAA gambling suspension denied, ending his Iowa football career

IOWA CITY — The NCAA has denied Iowa defensive lineman Noah Shannon’s appeal of his yearlong suspension for sports wagering, Coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday.

The failed appeal essentially marks the end of college football for Shannon, a sixth-year senior and two-year starter on the defensive line.

“I don’t agree with or understand, quite frankly, the decision, especially when it comes to the severity of the punishment,” Ferentz said Tuesday. “The panel that heard the appeal had an opportunity to really do something, make a decision that to me would reflect reason and also reflect the changing environment, and they failed to do so.”

Ferentz previously said Shannon placed a bet on a different University of Iowa sports team. The NCAA’s updated sports gambling guidelines suggest an athlete who does so “will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.”

Ferentz said Shannon was “about as honest as you can be” during the NCAA investigative process.

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Shannon released a statement through Iowa sports information apologizing to “the fans and everyone who supports Iowa football.”

“I made a mistake and I have taken responsibility for it,” Shannon said. “I am heartbroken that I will not be able to play alongside my brothers again, but I plan to stick with the team and support them any way that I can going forward.”

Ferentz said the program will "put him to work in a lot of ways” in his non-playing role. That included traveling with the team for its game at Iowa State on Saturday.

“Every year we have some young guys that are going through a really tough transition, just like he did six years ago,” Ferentz said. “That can be invaluable, so we’ll keep him busy.”

The 6-foot defensive tackle started every game in 2021 and ’22 and was an all-Big Ten honorable mention after both seasons.

Shannon’s yearlong absence could complicate his pursuit of an NFL career considering all of the game film will be more than a year old.

“The good news is he’s got a lot of good film,” Ferentz said. “He’s played a lot of good football for us.”

Yahya Black has taken Shannon’s first-team spot on the defensive line. Others contributing include Jeremiah Pittman and Aaron Graves.

Defensive back Jermari Harris, who was out with a two-game suspension, is expected to make his season debut Saturday against Western Michigan. He is listed as a first-team cornerback.

“He’s fully engaged, ready to roll and it’ll be good to get him back,” Ferentz said.

Ferentz’s policy for conduct suspensions usually entails sending a player to the scout team, but the 25th-year head coach “didn’t do it with Jermari.”

“This whole topic has really been interesting,” Ferentz said.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com