Iowa Football Program Gets Great News Three Days Before Opener

The Iowa football program has received the answer on the eligibility of transfer wide receiver Oliver Martin, and YES he can play immediately.

Martin, who played high school football at Iowa City West and one season with the Michigan Wolverines, has been granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA and Big Ten Conference. The news came in a Wednesday afternoon media release from the University of Iowa Sports Information Department.

In the release, Martin's excitement was clear. He said,

I am ecstatic that the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference have approved our waiver request. I want to thank my coaches and my teammates for their help as I work to get ready. I have been dreaming of running out of the tunnel wearing the black and gold ever since I decided to join the program. I can’t wait to contribute to this team on the field.

 

During his afternoon press conference yesterday, Ferentz was asked about Martin and whether he would play, if eligible, in Saturday's 2019 opener. Ferentz said,

Yeah, he's definitely in our plan to play him, and he would be on the travel team if we were traveling. Yeah, if we get the green light, he'll be in there playing at some point, absolutely.

Martin had 11 catches and one touchdown during his freshman campaign in Ann Arbor. Oliver, from Coralville, is coming home and Hawkeye fans are excited to see what he can do. Now, they won't have to wait to find out.

Iowa and Miami of Ohio kick off Saturday night at 6:40 inside Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The game is televised by FS1.