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Fernando Mexdoza named 2025-26 Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy recipient Fernando Mendoza has been named the 2026 Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year. He won the award alongside UCLA women’s basketball guard Lauren Betts, who was named the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year.
Mendoza will have a statue one day in Bloomington. He, of course, commanded the Hoosiers in an all-time great national championship run last season, leading Indiana to a 16-0 record that included postseason wins over Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and finally Miami in the title game.
And while it wasn’t all Mendoza — Indiana’s defense was elite and Curt Cignetti has proven to be one of the best coaches in the country — the Hoosiers absolutely could not have done it without him. He proved to be ultra efficient and clutch when it mattered, throwing for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions.
Mendoza shined in comeback victories against Penn State and Iowa, and his can’t-be-denied touchdown run to wrap up a national title victory over Miami will be remembered as one of the greatest scores in Indiana football history.
For all that, Mendoza was selected first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. In other words, he’s just getting started.
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.