Ever since the NCAA changed its rules in 2021 to allow student athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, institutional money has been circling college football, desperate for a way to turn top programs into money-making machines. These incursions have had limited success to date.
Perhaps the private equity and venture capital vultures have been approaching things the wrong way. Instead of building a fully financialized and business-friendly college football league, why not start with the players? When Fernando Mendoza emerges, as he almost certainly will, as the No 1 overall pick of the NFL draft on Thursday night, his coronation will not only cap a remarkable personal story – it will also mark the ascendancy of a specific idea of the modern football player. Mendoza’s story is extraordinary. Ranked as the 140th-best quarterback prospect by respected college recruiting website 247Sports in 2022, as he was applying for college, he rose through the ranks at the California Golden Bears, earning both his stripes as a starting quarterback and an undergraduate business degree in three years. Last year he transferred to Indiana, winning the Heisman Trophy as he led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and the national championship. His rise is a tribute to dedication, hard work, grit, determination – all qualities NFL franchises look for when scouring the college field for prospects.
