Indiana football players Fernando and Alberto Mendoza were named winners of the 2026 Male Athlete of the Year for the NIL Store Awards on Wednesday. This award is given to a player or players who excel in competition in their respective sport while also creating meaningful opportunities off the field.
The NIL Store Awards are fan-voted awards given to athletes or teams in different categories to celebrate their achievements during the past year. The awards are given to winners of fan voted categories such as school of the year or moment of the year, and awards are also given to statistics-based winners, like athletes or school who generated the most revenue.
The NIL Store is an online store that helps athletes at the collegiate and professional levels use their name, image and likeness to make money and build their personal brands. This year, the website celebrates the five-year anniversary of the NCAA allowing collegiate athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness. Because of this, award winners earn an additional 10% on all sales generated on July 1.
The pair earned the award by raising awareness for multiple sclerosis by launching the Mendoza Family Fund, a program to fund and support programs seeking a cure for the disease. They launched this fund as a dedication to their mother, Elsa Mendoza, who was diagnosed with the disease.
Fernando Mendoza also finished as the fourth-highest earning male athlete across all NIL Store sales.
Former Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. was represented on the list as well, finishing third in voting for the Moment of the Year for his game-winning touchdown against Penn State Nov. 8, 2025.
Indiana also finished as the third best-selling school in the country in terms of NIL money behind Illinois and the University of Connecticut.
