The University of Iowa football program has called a press conference for Friday afternoon.

Late Thursday evening the athletics department announced that head coach Kirk Ferentz and three unnamed players will address the media at 2 p.m. CT on Friday. The nature of the press conference was not mentioned in the email that was sent.

Iowa’s program has come under a microscope over the last week as several former players shared stories of “racial disparities” within the program. Many of those examples involved strength and conditioning coordinator Chris Doyle.

After numerous accusations of unfair or inappropriate behavior from former players, Ferentz announced that Doyle would be placed on administrative leave. An independent investigation is looking into the allegations.

Ferentz released a statement on the situation last week.

“This is a defining moment for the Iowa Hawkeye football program. Over the past 24 hours, I’ve seen some difficult and heartbreaking posts on social media,” Ferentz said in the video. “I appreciate the former players’ candor, and have been reaching out to many of them individually and will continue to do so moving forward to learn more about their experiences in our program.

“Many of the discussions have centered around our strength and conditioning program and coach Chris Doyle. I’ve spoken with him about the allegations posted on social media. They’re troubling and have created a lasting impact on those players. Therefore, Coach Doyle has been placed on administrative leave immediately while an independent review can take place. He and I agree that all parties have to have their voices heard. Then, a decision about how we move forward will take place.”

….

“There has been a call for a cultural shift in our program. Therefore, I am creating an advisory committee chaired by a former player and comprised of current and former players, as well as departmental staff. This will be a diverse group. They will be able to share without judgments so we can all examine where we are today and how we can have a better environment tomorrow.”