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Fernando Mendoza: Cuban pride and economic phenomenon in the US
Fernando Mendoza is the sensation of the moment in the United States. The quarterback with Cuban roots led the Indiana Hoosiers’ undefeated title this week, in a feat with overtones of redemption: he conquered the summit in his native Miami and against the university that rejected him, transforming that contempt into a historic personal victory.
Winner of the Heisman Trophy this season, which recognizes the best college football player of the year, Mendoza honored that award by scoring a running touchdown with less than ten minutes left that ended up being decisive in the 27-21 victory.
He did it in front of his audience in a packed Hard Rock Stadium and in front of the University of Miami, which previously did not want him as a player.
“It’s something incredible for me; I was a two-star player coming out of high school and they rejected me when I tried to join the University of Miami team. It’s a very special moment for me to be playing here in Miami,” Mendoza said after last Monday’s game.
Pioneer of Cuban blood…
Born in Boston but raised in Miami, Mendoza is the son of Fernando Mendoza Sr. and Alejandra Mendoza, members of the Cuban diaspora in South Florida, who instilled in him the “Cuban work ethic,” in the player’s words.
However, it was his four grandparents who emigrated directly from Cuba in 1959 and who serve, according to Mendoza, as his greatest source of inspiration.
That tenacity was molded at Christopher Columbus High School, a well-known factory of elite athletes southwest of Miami that has propelled several figures to the NBA, MLB and NFL.
His recent coronation as the Heisman Award made him the first player of Cuban roots to win this distinguished award, which has been awarded since 1934.
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Fernando Mendoza with a value of 2.6 billion
The victory of Indiana and Mendoza also represents a new economic era in the NCAA marked by NIL (Name, Image and Likeness, NIL) sponsorship contracts, which allow brands and companies to pay college players starting in 2021.
The University of Indiana was historically a team without chances for the title, accustomed to finishing with a negative balance, but an aggressive NIL strategy and the support of large donors, including the former owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and Indiana alumnus, Mark Cuban, managed to shield its project.
This is how Mendoza signed for this university in 2025, from the University of California. It is estimated that the program had to put up a two million dollar NIL agreement to secure his transfer.
A year after his signing, the quarterback with Cuban roots reached an NIL value of 2.6 million, according to the specialized website On3 Sports, placing him as the fifth most valuable player in the US.
Among its agreements are an important contract with Adidas or partnerships with Epic Games, the company behind the video game Fornite, and the beverage brand Dr. Pepper.
In addition, his signing helped raise the value of the Indiana University football program, which has skyrocketed to $650 million, almost 40% more than before Mendoza’s arrival, according to calculations by the Indiana University-Columbus finance professor.
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The most expensive final in history
This symbiosis between talent and capital reached its climax in the final last Monday, where the fever to see a possible title for the local team and the desire to witness the ‘son in exile’, shot up ticket prices to levels never seen before.
The average ticket price exceeded $4,000, according to the resale platform Vivid Seats, and up to $30,000 was requested for the most expensive tickets.
By comparison, the average price of tickets to see last year’s final between Notre Dame and Ohio State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta did not reach $2,000.
Parking around Hard Rock Stadium also became a business, costing almost $750 per space in the areas closest to the stadium.
All of this to end up seeing Mendoza lift the title against his hometown, in what may be his last college game before entering the next draft. The national media places him as the best quarterback in his promotion and as a probable first choice.
With information from EFE
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Fernando Mendoza: Cuban pride and economic phenomenon in the US
Forbes Mexico Staff