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Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, took time away from the Las Vegas Raiders to flip his tassel and perhaps show off his arm by tossing the cap in a graduation ceremony this weekend.
But it wasn’t at Indiana’s commencement ceremony—he went back to Cal.
Mendoza, who missed a White House visit with his Hoosiers teammates earlier this month to focus on his time with his new NFL team, was part of Cal’s MBA commencement ceremony on Saturday after previously missing their undergraduate ceremony last Wednesday.
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Fernando Mendoza looks to pass during the Las Vegas Raiders rookie minicamp at team headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (David Becker/Getty Images)
Once again, Mendoza didn’t want to leave his Raiders teammates, but Jenny Chatman, dean of the Haas School of Business at Cal, made an exception for the man finishing his degree at Cal.
During the ceremony, Chatman paused to share his surprise that Mendoza would be able to walk the stage for his bachelor’s degree.
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“We have a Haas undergraduate student who couldn’t make it to commencement on Wednesday. So I hope you don’t mind me inviting this person to our MBA commencement,” Chatman told the audience. “He actually had a really good excuse for missing the start. He used his Haas skills and courses to negotiate an excellent job and an excellent comp package.
“However, he was unable to change his start date as he had to report to his new job, so please help me welcome Las Vegas Raider, Heisman Trophy winner, Haas candidate and Cal Bear forever, Fernando Mendoza.”
The surprise led to a big ovation for Mendoza, who, as always, had a bright smile on his face as he walked across the stage and accepted his degree in business administration and management.
Mendoza completed that degree while enrolled in a graduate program at Indiana in 2025.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza warms up during a rookie minicamp at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
During the time he tackled two workloads with two different schools, Mendoza also led the Hoosiers to a historic undefeated season under head coach Curt Cignetti, ultimately leading to a national championship victory in his home Miami against his hometown Miami Hurricanes.
It was during that undefeated season that Mendoza cemented himself as the top quarterback option in this year’s draft, and the Raiders, a team desperate for a quarterback of the future, confirmed all predictions that he would go first overall last month.
Now his focus is on how he can impact his new franchise, whether he starts or not. Veteran Kirk Cousins is also on the quarterback depth chart in “Sin City,” and new head coach Klint Kubiak has mentioned the ideal scenario of Cousins starting Week 1, with Mendoza developing and learning behind him before taking over under center.
It’s because of that focus that Mendoza said he won’t be joining his Hoosier teammates in the nation’s capital for a White House ceremony celebrating their national championship.
President Donald Trump revealed that Mendoza called him and they had a conversation.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, attends a news conference at Raiders headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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“He called me and explained why he couldn’t be here,” Trump told the White House group during the ceremony.
“If he wasn’t here for another reason. If he didn’t like Trump, I wouldn’t have mentioned him for any other reason. I like him, he’s actually a big fan of what we’re doing … Fernando couldn’t be here today because he’s now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. I hope he’s doing well.”
