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Ever since the introduction of NIL payments and the decision to allow schools to directly hand money over to players, college football purists have bemoaned what they feel is the trend that the sport they love is just becoming a money game.
But recent comments made by the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and No.
1 overall NFL Draft pick could shed some light on what players are actually thinking about when they decide to commit or transfer to one school over another.
How important are NIL bucks, really? Sure, players and their families are asking about money.
But its not the only concern they have when looking at schools.
Thats according to Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback who led Indiana to its first national championship, who said that considerations around how much he would be paid were not the most important in his mind before transferring from Cal.
I believe you need to put the opportunity before the check size.
Thats something that I stood by, and something that I did in my transfer portal process.
Indiana was not the highest bidder, Mendoza said in partnership with State Farm, according to On3 Sports.
That will come as welcome talk from smaller schools that dont often compete at the highest levels in college football, but who, like the Hoosiers, still want to attract serious talent to their rosters, and dont necessarily have to outspend the big-timers.
However, I saw the greatest opportunity and I believed in the coaching staff, believed in my teammates, and believed in the great culture there at Indiana, Mendoza, who was taken No.
1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders this spring, said.
That was something that ended up paying off in the long term, especially with the opportunity, being able to go there, a great system that fit me.
Those were all things on my list, and I believe that money was maybe the fifth variable or the fourth variable, I believe.
NIL should not drive players Of course, NIL offers from schools played into Mendozas thinking when he elected to transfer from Cal, but it was one factor among many.
I believe theres a healthy balance where youd be remiss to say that money is not a factor, that some people try to say.
It evidently is.
Youd be remiss not to talk about it, but it shouldnt always be the driving factor or the only factor, he said.
Mendozas advice cuts against the perception that NIL is only about chasing the biggest payday, and reveals more nuanced thinking among especially higher profile prospects, who take other considerations into account when making career decisions.
While acknowledging that NIL money is an important piece of the puzzle, he argues that it should compliment, not dictate, a players eventual choices.
Its a message that reveals the best opportunity for growth and future success often delivers the greatest return, even if it doesnt come with the biggest check upfront.
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ.
He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years.
His work has also been published on CBSSports.com.
He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.