Will Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza Go to White House with Indiana Hoosiers?
Fernando Mendoza, the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, had one of the greatest college football seasons a quarterback has had in recent history with the Indiana Hoosiers last season.
Along with head coach Curt Cignetti, Mendoza and the Hoosiers went 16-0, winning the Big Ten Championship against the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Rose Bowl against the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Peach Bowl against the Oregon Ducks, and the College Football National Championship, taking down the Miami Hurricanes.
With Indiana's success in winning the program's first national title, the team was invited to visit United States President Donald Trump at the White House.
The Hoosiers were invited to visit the White House in Washington, D.C. on May 11, according to The Daily Hoosier reporter Seth Tow.
On Saturday, Mendoza said that it is unlikely he will go to the White House with his former teammates, as he said May 11 is the first day of OTAs with the Raiders.
"If it is the first day of OTAs, like I said, I'm the bottom of the totem pole here," Mendoza said, per Vegas Sports Today. "I gotta prove myself. I can't miss practice. As a rookie, I don't think that's a good look."
"As a rookie, I don't think that's a good look. I can't miss practice."
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) May 2, 2026
Raiders rookie QB Fernando Mendoza on visiting the White House with the Indiana Hoosiers.
: @MikeDixon_VST#RaiderNation | #Raiderspic.twitter.com/hplAUZiuZl
The tradition of visiting the White House began in the 1800s, and the Indiana basketball team, which went undefeated in 1976, was the first men's college basketball team to make the visit. College football teams have been going since 1961.
In Mendoza's triumphant year with the Hoosiers, he took home the Heisman Trophy and was a unanimous All-American after throwing for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns en route to a perfect season.
Related: Fernando Mendoza Makes First-Ever Move Following Raiders Decision
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 2:59 PM.