Iowa athletics dept. to fully cover $4M settlement
Iowa‘s athletics department will pay the entire settlement of more than $4 million to a group of Black former football players who sued the university for alleged racial discrimination.
University president Barbara Wilson on Thursday said the athletic department will reimburse $2 million to the state’s general fund for the settlement. Iowa’s state appeals board on Monday voted 2-1 to approve $2 million of state money to cover about half of the settlement. The university’s athletic department had already been set to cover the other half.
“I appreciate the work and due diligence of the Iowa Attorney General and State Appeal Board,” Wilson’s statement read. “After listening to the concerns of Iowans, and in consultation with Board of Regents leadership, I have determined that the University of Iowa Department of Athletics will reimburse the state general fund for the $2 million due to the recent settlement. I am deeply committed to our students’ success and well-being on and off the field of play.”
State auditor Rob Sand, part of the three-member appeals board, voted against using state money for the settlement. Sand also called for the firing of longtime Iowa athletics director Gary Barta, citing several discrimination lawsuits during his tenure that led to large settlement payouts.
The previous settlements were paid entirely by Iowa athletic department funds. They included a $6.5 million payout in 2017 to settle a lawsuit over the firing of former field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum.
Wilson did not mention Barta or his job status in her statement Thursday. Barta has led Iowa’s athletic department since 2006.
“It reminds me of that scene in ‘Zoolander’ when Will Ferrell says, ‘I feel like I’m taking crazy pills here,'” Sand told ESPN on Monday after the vote. “I don’t know why taxpayers are paying $2 million for this. Can you imagine someone in the private sector still having their job after four settlements?
“… This doesn’t mean that Gary Barta hasn’t worked hard at his job. At the end of the day, when you’ve had four settlements related to discrimination, you have to say enough is enough.”
Iowa’s athletic department on Monday released a statement saying it remains committed to establishing “an inclusive and welcoming environment” for all athletes and staff members.
Longtime football coach Kirk Ferentz expressed great disappointment in the decision to settle the lawsuit, saying negotiations occurred between the players’ attorney, Damario Solomon-Simmons, and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Ferentz also cited a motion for summary judgment that had been filed outlining why the case should be dismissed.
“These discussions took place entirely without the knowledge or consent of the coaches who were named in the lawsuit,” Ferentz said in a statement. “In fact, the parties originally named disagree with the decision to settle, fully believing that the case would have been dismissed with prejudice before trial. … We have been told the reason for the settlement is financial. As part of the settlement, the coaches named were dismissed from the lawsuit and there is no admission of any wrongdoing.
“For more than two years, our program has been unfairly and negatively impacted by these allegations.”
Barta; Ferentz; his son and offensive coordinator, Brian Ferentz; and former strength coach Chris Doyle were dismissed from the lawsuit last week.
According to the proposed settlement, some $2.85 million would be divided among 12 players and $1.9 million would go to Solomon Simmons Law for fees and expenses. One player was not included in the settlement for reasons not immediately known.
In addition, the university would direct $90,000 to support graduate or professional school tuition for the plaintiffs, with no individual receiving more than $20,000, and provide mental health counseling for the plaintiffs through March 15, 2024. The athletic department also is required to hire University of Texas Black studies professor Leonard Moore to oversee a five-year diversity, equity and inclusion plan.
The lawsuit filed in November 2020 involved 13 Black former players, including former star running back Akrum Wadley and career receptions leader Kevonte Martin-Manley. They alleged they were demeaned with racial slurs, forced to abandon Black hairstyles, fashion and culture to fit the “Iowa Way” promoted by Ferentz, and retaliated against for speaking out.
The players initially sought $20 million in damages plus the firings of Barta and the Ferentzes.
Doyle agreed to leave Iowa five months before the lawsuit was filed after widespread accusations that he used his position as strength coach to bully and disparage former players, particularly those who are Black. Iowa agreed to pay Doyle $1.1 million in a resignation agreement.
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Max Olson
FRISCO, Texas — A dynamic new quarterback, a new offensive system and two projected first-round picks up front have Utah coach Kyle Whittingham feeling enthusiastic about the Utes’ chances of bouncing back from a disastrous debut season in the Big 12.
Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll last year after joining from the Pac-12, but a brutal run of injuries and inconsistency resulted in a seven-game conference losing streak and a 5-7 finish — the program’s first losing season since 2013.
After weeks of contemplation about his future and what was best for the program, Whittingham, the third-longest-tenured head coach in FBS, decided in December to return for his 21st season with the Utes.
“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note,” Whittingham told ESPN at Big 12 media days Wednesday. “It was too frustrating, too disappointing. As much as college football has changed with all the other factors that might pull you away, that was the overriding reason: That’s not us, that’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”
“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note. It was too frustrating, too disappointing. … That’s not us. That’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on going 5-7 in 2024
Whittingham and Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley conducted a national search for a new offensive coordinator and quickly zeroed in on New Mexico‘s Jason Beck. Then they managed to land Devon Dampier, Beck’s first-team All-Mountain West quarterback, via the transfer portal.
After finishing 11th nationally in total offense with 3,934 yards and 31 total touchdowns and putting up the fourth-most rushing yards (1,166) among all FBS starters, Dampier followed his coach to Salt Lake City and immediately asserted himself as a difference-maker for a program that had to start four different QBs in 2024.
“He’s a terrific athlete,” Whittingham said. “He’s a guy that, if spring is any indication, he’s an exciting player, and we can’t wait to watch him this season. … He’s got that ‘it’ factor. He’s a leader. Needless to say, very excited to see what he does for us.”
They’ve surrounded Dampier with 21 more newcomers via the transfer portal and will protect him with two returning starters at tackle in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, who are projected first-round NFL draft picks by ESPN’s Matt Miller.
“We feel they’re the best tandem in the country,” Whittingham said. “The offensive line in general, I feel, it’s the best since I’ve been there. And that’s quite a statement. We’ve had some really good offensive lines. We’ve got two first-rounders and three seniors inside that have played a lot of good football for us. That better be a strength of ours, and that’s what we’re counting on.”
Whittingham has previously said he did not want to coach past the age of 65. Now that he’s 65, he acknowledges that he might’ve arrived at a different decision about his future had the Utes ended up winning the Big 12 in 2024. He is reenergized about getting them back into contention, but he’s not ready to say whether this season might be his last.
“The best answer I can give you is, right now, I’m excited and passionate about going to work every single day,” Whittingham said. “As soon as that changes, I’ll know it’s time. I’m just counting on knowing when the time is right. I can’t tell you exactly what the circumstances will be other than losing the fire in the belly.”
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Jesse Rogers
The automated ball-strike system is coming to the All-Star Game next week in Atlanta.
MLB officials added the feature to the annual exhibition game knowing it could be a precursor to becoming a permanent part of the major leagues as soon as next year.
The same process used this past spring training will be used for the Midsummer Classic: Each team will be given two challenges with the ability to retain them if successful. Only a pitcher, catcher or hitter can ask for a challenge and it has to happen almost immediately after the pitch. The player will tap his hat or helmet indicating to the umpire he wants to challenge while any help from the dugout or other players on the field is not allowed.
MLB officials say 72% of fans who were polled during spring training said the impact of ABS on their experience at the game was a “positive” one. Sixty-nine percent said they’d like it part of the game moving forward. Just 10% expressed negativity toward it.
MLB’s competition committee will meet later this summer to determine if ABS will be instituted next season after the league tested the robotic system throughout the minor leagues and spring training in recent years. Like almost any rule change, there were mixed reviews from players about using ABS but nearly all parties agree on one point: They prefer a challenge system as opposed to the technology calling every pitch.
As was the case in spring training, once a review is initiated, an animated replay of the pitch will be shown on the scoreboard and the home plate umpire will either uphold the call or overturn it. ABS uses Hawk-Eye system technology which tracks the pitch trajectory and location in relation to the strike zone, providing an instant assessment which can be relayed to the home plate umpire.
The All-Star Game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tuesday.
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