Indiana football star Fernando Mendoza explains why dating took back seat during CFP title run

Joel Klatt and Colin Cowherd discuss the importance of Indiana winning the national championship and whether Miami can rebound following its loss.

Indiana star quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s candid comments about his personal life have returned to the forefront. 

In 2024, the presumptive top pick in this year’s NFL Draft revealed he avoided dating during his college football career, citing a romantic relationship’s potential to create distractions.

"Especially with the girls, it can be very distracting," Mendoza said at the time while playing for the UC Berkeley Golden Bears. "You might find your first love in college, and stuff like that, but … I’m going to give everything my all. So, if I have a girlfriend, I’m going to give her my all." 

Mendoza's clear stance resurfaced just days after he led the Hoosiers to the program’s first-ever 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 Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)

"And I believe that I will make it to the NFL," Mendoza added in the clip shared in 2024. "However, at this point, I’ve gotta limit all distractions."

INDIANA'S FERNANDO MENDOZA SHARES LESSONS FROM NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WIN ON LINKEDIN

While enrolled at Berkeley, Mendoza said he lived within a "three-minute walk from the facility."

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws before a game against Wisconsin Nov. 15, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind. (Darron Cummings/AP Photo)

From Mendoza’s point of view, having a girlfriend over the past few years could have prevented him from