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CHICAGO – Kirk Ferentz is no stranger to attending Big Ten Football Media Days. 

2026 marks his 28th appearance at the annual event, and per usual, he was quick to share stories from his nearly four decades coaching Big Ten football. 

While the legendary 1981 Hawkeyes did come up during Ferentz's 15-minute Big Ten Network press conference (and his other media scrums) that was only a recollection – not the focus. The 2026 campaign is just 39 days away, and Ferentz did his best to share his thoughts on his team during this brief period. 

And like all journalists are supposed to do, I took notes and came away with a few takeaways. 

Here they are: 

No New Updates On Quarterback Battle 

This sentence probably could've been typed weeks ago. It could be typical July coach speech, too, but considering what I've heard about Iowa's quarterback battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski so far, Ferentz is no closer to making his decision. 

I've covered Ferentz for three years, and he's about as unpredictable as any coach can be. You truly never know what he's going to say in any given press conference, and he may just announce his decision at Iowa's upcoming media day on Aug. 14. 

I would assume Ferentz and Co. make their decision when the depth chart releases on the Monday of game week, but according to him, all possibilities are open. 

"Bottom line is this: right now we don't know the answer," Ferentz said. "I can only tell you we'll know the answer when we know it." 

Total Confidence in Chris Polizzi 

Besides the quarterback battle, the other position Ferentz had the most to say about was special teams.

There's going to be plenty of additional pieces coming out on HawkeyeRoundtable.com in the coming days that go more in-depth on this compelling unit, but my biggest takeaway from Ferentz's various responses on this was that he has complete confidence in new coordinator Chris Polizzi to maintain the high standard that has long been established in Iowa City. 

While quarterback is easily a position of keen interest for Hawkeye fans – don't forget about the massive overhaul across special teams. Standout return man Kaden Wetjen is gone, as are punter Rhys Dakin, kicker Drew Stevens, and of course former coordinator LeVar Woods, who left to take the same position at Michigan State (Dakin followed Woods there). 

Polizzi will certainly have some difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks, but Ferentz isn't worried about his ability to perform – it comes down to the guys on the field anyway. 

"It's more about the players. It always has been, in my mind," Ferentz said. "I think what we've done has been solid in all three phases over the years. It's about the players and their stories, how they develop." 

24 Team Playoff Should Be A Reality 

Ask Ferentz about any issue in college football these days, and he'll usually give you a concerned look and reminisce on some of his favorite memories. 

That was the case a lot during his first press conference, but when Ferentz was asked about the College Football Playoff potentially expanding from 12 to 24 teams in the near future, Ferentz was all for it. 

It makes sense for Ferentz to advocate for a larger bracket considering his team has often been on the fringe of both a four and 12-team CFP, but he says 24 teams means more revenue and therefore massive opportunities for the entire country. 

"My attitude is, if we're going to go to two to four, I'd go bigger," Ferentz said. "Sixteen or 24, I'm in favor of 24 certainly. I think it benefits everybody, not just a school like ours."

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io

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