Report says no set up sex for recruit at U-of-I

Iowa Deputy Attorney General Doug Marek says neither the University of Iowa or the school’s football program arranged or encouraged a sexual relationship between a football recruit and a young woman. Marek’s investigation came in the wake of an article in a Manhattan, Kansas newspaper early last month in which Nick Patton said it seemed a relationship he had with the woman may have been arranged. He says based on the facts, neither the university or the football program arranged the encounter. Marek says the woman is a college student but not at the University of Iowa. Patton claimed he had a sexual encounter with the woman at the home of his recruiting host Abdul Hodge. Marek says the woman stayed with Patton at his Iowa City hotel. He says he found there was no basis for the stories run in the Manhattan Mercury.University of Iowa president Dr. David Skorton says he’s very gratified that Marek found the allegations to be without merit. Skorton says in the wake of the scandal at Colorado athletic departments need to make sure they have recruiting guidelines in place.He says he has asked the athletic director and the coaches to work on formal written guidelines for the recruitment process. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says he is glad the process is complete.He says it’s been a distraction, probably more so to him and the individuals involved than to anyone else. He says “it’s been very overblown. I think it’s been very unfair and very disappointing, some of the coverage I’ve witnessed. ” Ferentz says he’s not at all surprised by the coverage, and says he realizes it’s part of the package. He says the most unfortunate part is the way Hodge has been portrayed. He says Hodge has been a model student and teammember, and the hurtful way Hodge has been portrayed has been the most disappointing thing to him.Iowa athletic director Bob Bowlsby says this turned out “as we had expected, and we’re glad to bring it to closure.” Bowlsby says the program will be better because of the positive report, but he says he thinks they were pretty good before.