The 2025 Big Ten Media Days entered its third and final day with Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz taking the podium.
Ferentz has been a part of the Iowa Football coaching staff for over 30 years, including two stints in Iowa City, and has been the head coach since 1999.
Big Ten Media Days is an exciting time for coaches, as they have the opportunity to discuss the progress of their teams ahead of August practices.
Ferentz, in his typical "back in my day" style, began by discussing how much things have changed since he first took over the program. He stated that it is a difficult time in collegiate athletics, as there have been numerous transitions over the past few years.
He noted that you must embrace the changes and make them work, and he is appreciative of the way his guys have handled it.
After his introduction, Ferentz took questions from the media, with three big storylines standing out: revenue sharing and how the program will adapt, quarterback Mark Gronowski, and the quarterback room as a whole.
How Iowa will keep up with revenue sharing
After federal Judge Claudia Wilken approved the landmark settlement in the House v. NCAA case, it opened the door for college programs to pay athletes directly from a revenue-sharing pool.
The revenue-sharing pool begins at $20.5 million, and is projected to increase annually during the 10-year contract, with most of the money going to football, men and women's basketball, and men's wrestling.
When asked about how Iowa would keep up with the "blue bloods" of college football, Ferentz stated that the new model is a step in the right direction.
He mentioned that the old way was unsustainable, and as long as they can keep the name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals at a reasonable level, they will be able to compete.
Another interesting part of Ferentz's response is when he mentioned his time in the NFL and how they dealt with a salary cap. He did not specifically state there should be a salary cap, but he has seen the signs that it might go in that direction.
Mark Gronowski's impact
Since South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski joined the Iowa program in January, Ferentz and the program have been asked at length about how he looks and what impact he will have next season.
That did not change during Ferentz's time at the podium during Big Ten Media Days.
Ferentz was asked numerous questions about Gronowski, and the Iowa head man could not stop raving about him.
In typical coach speak, Ferentz did not officially name Gronowski as the starter, but said he is the "anticipated starter." He stated that in the seven months he has known Mark, he has imprssed them.
Ferentz also stated that all the things they thought were positive about Gronowski, they have now seen firsthand.
The quarterback room
The Iowa quarterback room has been much maligned over the past few seasons as the Hawkeye offense has failed to produce. The offense has relied on the defense to keep them in games, but Ferentz believes that will change this season.
Ferentz stated that the quarterback and offensive line group have suffered numerous injuries over the past few seasons, but credits his guys with staying with it.
This season, Ferentz believes it will be different because he will not have to throw someone into a game who is not ready. He stated that the quarterback room as a whole is an upgrade from last season.
With Gronowski as the anticipated starter, that gives the other quarterbacks a chance to battle him for the starting job while also creating competition for future seasons, which ultimately makes them stronger as a unit.
Overall, Ferentz employed a lot of "coach speak" during his Big Ten Media Days press conference, but delivered a positive message about the state of the Iowa program ahead of the 2025-2026 season.