Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza signed an NIL deal with Adidas just before his Heisman announcement in the ceremony in New York, where he won the award over Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
Through the collaboration, Mendoza and Adidas organized a shopping spree for four families affected by multiple sclerosis. It’s a cause deeply personal to Mendoza because his mother battles MS. As part of this initiative, each family received money to do holiday shopping.
The apparel giant also celebrated Mendoza’s Heisman win with special tribute content. They released limited-edition Heisman winner tees and hoodies.
However, the brand faced significant pushback from fans for not printing enough jerseys.
“PRINT MORE DAMN APPAREL FOR THE HEISMAN WINNER!!! 🙄🙄” one fan commented.
“Print a jersey maybe?” one fan added.
“Make a #HeisMendoza line,” another fan suggested.
“His jersey has been sold out since at least early November. Was in hopes of getting some for the holiday season,” one fan wrote.
“Now get us new uniforms,” one fan added.
“Can’t imagine the surprised look on all of your faces at @adidas when you learned last week that Fernando existed,” one fan said.
“@adidasFballUS maybe you can make Mendoza jerseys available? You know? For fans to purchase?” one fan commented.
Fernando Mendoza On His Partnership With Adidas
Adidas is enjoying bright years in college football, as for the second year in a row, a player associated with them took home the Heisman hardware. Last season, Colorado standout and Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter won the award. This year, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza was announced the winner.
In early December, the quarterback struck a deal with Adidas and he shared about the same with his followers:
“Excited to share that I’ve accepted an opportunity to join adidas! I’m very grateful for everyone who has supported me along the way and excited to bring my passion for sport, leadership, and work ethic to the Three Stripes. Let’s get to work.”
The Adidas NIL deal came before Indiana’s Big Ten Championship game and elevated him into a group of top college athletes sponsored by the brand.
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