Mark Cuban says he helped Indiana land Fernando Mendoza with NIL donation

Mark Cuban recalled watching Indiana's loss to Notre Dame in the 2024 College Football Playoff alongside athletic director Scott Dolson and president Pamela Whitten when a familiar quarterback name got brought up.

Cuban, an Indiana graduate, said in an interview with Front Office Sports posted to social media on Tuesday, May 5, that it was brought to his attention at a 27-17 first-round loss to Notre Dame that the program had interest in eventual starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who of course went on to win the Heisman Trophy and national championship with the Hoosiers before being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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But there was just one problem. The school needed more money to land the star quarterback.

"He's like, 'we've got this quarterback that we really, really like that we think would be great,'" Cuban said. "'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.'"

The rest was history, as Mendoza led Indiana to a perfect 16-0 season ending in a 27-21 win over Miami in the national championship game. The transfer from Cal only played one season with the Hoosiers, but he easily cemented his place as one of the best players in program history.

The 6-foot-5 signal caller passed for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns to six interceptions while completing 72% of his attempts. He also rushed for seven touchdowns, improving his total touchdowns mark by 30 the previous season at his former school.

But how much did Indiana need from Cuban to land Mendoza?