Mark Cuban Funded Fernando Mendoza's NIL Contract, Indiana Alum Talks Role in Transfer Portal

Dallas Mavericks minority owner and Indiana alumnus Mark Cuban revealed that he funded the NIL deal of former Hoosiers standout quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

"[Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson]'s like, we've got this quarterback that we really, really like that we think would be great in (coach Curt Cignetti's) system, we just need a little bit more," Cuban said during a recent appearance on the Portfolio Players show (h/t Matt Moret of The Athletic). "I'm like, 'How much is a little bit?' And so he told me, and I'm like, 'OK, you know, we're on a roll, I'll put up the money to get this quarterback.'"

Cuban, who hadn't donated to Indiana sports before Mendoza, also explained that his previous ties to the signal-caller's family factored into his decision.

"I knew [Fernando's brother Alberto], who was already on the team, was a (Miami) Heat fan and he would sit behind the Miami bench, and when I would come to go to Mavs-Heat games, he was like, 'Oh yeah, I'm going to IU and da da da,'" Cuban said, via Moret. "So we met. And so I'm like, OK, I'll put up the money, and we can go get Fernando, and the rest is history."

Mendoza spent the first two seasons of his college career at Cal before entering the transfer portal at the end of his 2024 campaign.

Cuban's investment paid off, as the 22-year-old eventually joined Indiana and thrived during his lone year at the school. Mendoza earned Heisman Trophy honors and helped the Hoosiers capture a national championship by finishing with a perfect 16-0 record.

He completed 72.0 percent of his throws for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns compared to six interceptions at Indiana. Mendoza also picked up seven scores on the ground.

Now, he's preparing for his rookie season with the Las Vegas Raiders after he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.