Indiana‘s football program is riding high after winning the national championship, but fans are learning about some of the behind-the-scenes moves that set the Hoosiers up for success.
USA TODAY Sports notes that mogul businessman Mark Cuban revealed that he provided financial backing for Indiana to go after Fernando Mendoza after he left Cal.
“(Indiana athletics director Scott Dolson was) like, ‘we’ve got this quarterback that we really, really like that we think would be great,'” Cuban said in an interview with Front Office Sports. “‘We just need a little bit more.’ I’m like, ‘How much is a little bit?’ And so, he told me, and I’m like, ‘OK, we’re on a roll, I’ll put up the money to get this quarterback.'”
“I’ll put up the money and we can go get Fernando [Mendoza].”
Mark Cuban tells FOS that he provided the NIL money which allowed Indiana to sign the Heisman winning QB before the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/BZAFOSt6ng
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 5, 2026
Cuban, an Indiana University graduate, did not disclose how much money he put up, but revealed that he knew Mendoza’s brother Alberto because the latter would sit behind the Miami Heat bench with Cuban not far away.
Hoosiers fans might argue it’s the best investment Cuban’s ever made.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Indiana Football: Mark Cuban helped Hoosiers land Fernando Mendoza