Fernando Mendoza’s path to a national title was paved with the same discipline he applied in the classroom. Before his historic season at Indiana, Mendoza completed his undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Management at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. He recently returned to his roots to officially accept his degree, finalizing his status as a distinguished Berkeley alumnus.

“Fernando Mendoza received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Management from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Mendoza transferred from Cal to Indiana in 2025 before winning the national title,” Front Office Sports posted on X.

The post also featured a heartwarming video of Mendoza walking across the graduation stage in his cap and gown, smiling proudly as he received his degree while wearing a blue-and-gold flower garland.

This milestone is another impressive addition to his growing list of accomplishments. In December 2025, Mendoza was recognized nationally as Indiana’s quarterback after winning the Heisman Trophy and later becoming a first-round pick for the Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.

With the achievement, Mendoza became the first Cal graduate to win the Heisman Trophy. Before him, the closest a Cal alumnus came to winning the award was Chuck Muncie, who finished second to Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in 1975. Mendoza also made sure to acknowledge Cal during his Heisman acceptance speech.

“To my Cal family, thanks for being the first to believe in my future,” he said. “Thanks for the opportunity. Thanks for educating me, giving me the foundation that enabled me to grow into the person I am today.”

It is undeniable that Cal has been the anchor of his development. Over his college career, Mendoza appeared in 36 games with 35 starts. He appeared in 20 games, starting in 19, while playing for three seasons with the California team between 2022 and 2024. During his time in Cal, he became the program’s all-time leader in completion percentage, with 66.4 percent.

Reportedly, he paid for his final three classes at Cal in 2025 while already enrolled at Indiana. After transferring to Indiana, Mendoza maintained his incredible resume by earning both the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in his final collegiate season.

The quarterback’s final college season was nothing short of spectacular. In his only year at Indiana, he completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards, threw 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions, and led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season capped off by the program’s first-ever national championship.

Now, Mendoza is bringing the same focus and discipline that fueled his college success into the next challenge of his NFL journey.

Fernando Mendoza ‘upset’ for missing Raiders workouts

Balancing milestone moments with professional commitments is never easy; just ask Fernando Mendoza.

While head coach Klint Kubiak praised Mendoza and said he has been “as advertised,” the Raiders are still slowly bringing the rookie quarterback into the offense. During the OTAs, Kirk Cousins took the first reps, followed by Aidan O’Connell and then Mendoza. Clearly, every practice and meeting has been important for the rookie quarterback as he adjusts to life in the NFL.

That is why Mendoza was not exactly thrilled about having to leave the team practice to attend the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles.

“I’m going to be completely honest with you.” Fernando Mendoza told Sports Illustrated, “I’d rather be practicing right now, and I was really upset about actually having to miss practice for this. Although it’s great … it’s still been a great moment since it was mandatory I be here.”

The 32nd annual NFLPA Rookie Premiere, presented by Topps, brought together 42 NFL Draft rookies in Los Angeles from May 14 to May 16. The event occurred shortly before the Raiders were scheduled to start their OTAs on May 18, which was a point of concern for Mendoza.

This is also not the first time he has chosen football responsibilities over a major celebration. Earlier this month, despite leading Indiana to the 2025 CFP national championship, Mendoza skipped the White House celebration with President Donald Trump so he could stay focused on rookie training with the Raiders.

From the way he has handled OTAs and the offseason so far, Mendoza has already made one thing clear. He is fully committed to earning his place with the Raiders.