Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was born in Boston but grew up in Miami, making the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game a homecoming for him.

Mendoza admitted that there are “emotions” to the homecoming game, but he is doing his best not to let them affect him. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner said he is trying to view the game from another perspective to take himself out of the microscope.

“This game means a lot to myself,” Mendoza said on the Big Ten Network. “We're playing the University of Miami in Miami. So there could be a lot of emotions. My perspective has always been to widen it and realize how much this means to all of my teammates, all my coaches, and not just myself. It means so much, the National Championship Game, that I am doing everything possible for preparation because I owe it to my teammates, my coaches and Hoosier Nation.”

Article Continues Below

Mendoza starred at Christopher Columbus High School, which is roughly 15 minutes from the University of Miami's campus. As a three-star recruit, he did not receive enough attention to fall on the Hurricanes' radar and opted to fly across the country to begin his career at Cal.

Mendoza's family is rooted in Miami, where he is expected to have a substantial support group on Monday. In a widely-reported story, Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal played high school football with Mendoza's father, Fernando Mendoza Sr.

The Mendoza family will be well represented in Hard Rock Stadium, but the crowd will still be largely favoring Miami. The Hurricanes are looking to become the first team to win a National Championship on their own home field.