Indiana football star Fernando Mendoza explains why dating took a backseat during CFP title race
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Indiana star quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s candid comments about his personal life are back in the spotlight.
In 2024, the presumed top pick in this year’s NFL Draft revealed that he avoided dating during his college football career, citing the potential for a romantic relationship to create distractions.
“Especially with girls, it can be very distracting,” Mendoza said at the time while playing for the UC Berkeley Golden Bears. “Maybe you’ll find your first love in college and stuff, but… I’m going to give it my all. So, if I have a girlfriend, I’ll give her my all.”
Mendoza’s clear stance resurfaced just days after he led the Hoosiers to the program’s first College Football Playoff national championship.
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)
“And I think I will make it to the NFL,” Mendoza added in the clip shared in 2024. “However, at this point, I have to limit all distractions.”
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While enrolled at Berkeley, Mendoza said he lived “a three-minute walk from the facility.”
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws before a game against Wisconsin on Nov. 15, 2025 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Darron Cummings/AP Photo)
From Mendoza’s point of view, having a girlfriend in recent years could have prevented him from training to the extent he wanted.
“That means I’m going back from 6 to 9 [p.m.] “Just to hang out with her, maybe have dinner or something, instead of maybe picking up dinner when I get back from class and watching extra film for game week.”
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza gestures after the CFP national championship game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Kirby Lee/Image Images)
Mendoza transferred from California to Indiana before the 2025 season, threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns and was the winner of the 2025 Heisman Trophy.
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Mendoza and the Hoosiers capped an undefeated season with a 27-21 victory over Miami in the national title game on Monday.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for News Digital.