Fernando Mendoza has revealed bits and pieces of his decision to transfer from Cal to Indiana over the last few months.
And it isn’t hyperbolic to suggest it was a decision that helped lead to one of the greatest stories in the history of sports.
Mendoza has said the main three schools he considered while in the transfer portal ahead of the 2025 season were Indiana, Miami and Georgia. And it’s clear all three made an aggressive push to land the Miami native.
Mendoza previously said he actually called Georgia coach Kirby Smart late one evening to commit to the Bulldogs, but the call didn’t go through. He also revealed he “took a huge pay cut” to come to IU, meaning he turned down much more significant overall compensation packages to play for Curt Cignetti and the IU staff.
This week Mendoza revealed two more juicy aspects of the IU decision on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast.
Just how much less did IU pay Mendoza than his top suitor? He says his total IU compensation package (revenue sharing plus NIL) was around 55% of his top offer. That’s a difference in the millions — a massive sum for a college student to turn down.
Indiana needed a major assist from billionaire alumnus Mark Cuban to even amass an offer that was competitive enough in the eyes of Mendoza. And it was still barely half of his top opportunities.
It’s the latest sign Indiana’s massive success under Cignetti has come despite the program not being among those with the most financial resources. CBS Sports reported this week after extensive research IU’s 2025 roster budget was not among the top programs.
“The Hoosiers were not one of the top spenders in the sport when they won it all — not even close, really,” the CBS report says.
In fact, it appears Cignetti is benefitting at least in part from a dynamic his former mentor Nick Saban once realized at Alabama — when players would reportedly take less money just for the opportunity to play for the iconic Crimson Tide coach.
Mendoza also revealed his mother Elsa wanted him to go to Indiana and had significant influence on his ultimate decision to go there. Mendoza has often spoken about the impact his mother has had on his football career, from skill development to mental toughness. He also regularly cites her battle with multiple sclerosis as an inspiration.
Mendoza’s decision turned out to be incredibly successful, both for him and Indiana.
He became the Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, earning around $56 million in guaranteed money in the process. Indiana of course completed a 16-0 season and won the national championship, with many of the wins involving fourth quarter heroics by Mendoza.
Mendoza’s decision provides a blueprint for future transfers and high school athletes: Chase the best opportunity, not the most money.
With the benefit of seeing his brother Alberto develop in one year at Indiana, Mendoza had a good idea how his year in Bloomington would turn out, at least from a developmental standpoint. He also had the benefit of seeing the massive one-year improvement realized by the five quarterbacks who played for Cignetti before him.
In the end, Mendoza made plenty of money — and he made his mother proud.
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on X: @daily_hoosier and find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
