Quarterback Alberto Mendoza just won a national championship with the Indiana Hoosiers. He stood on that stage, confetti falling, trophy in hand, the culmination of a dream season.
And now, less than a month later, he's announced his transfer to Georgia Tech.
Welcome to college football in 2026, where loyalty is a relic and the transfer portal is king.
Mendoza helped lead Indiana to their first national title in program history. He was part of something special, something that Hoosiers fans will talk about for generations. And before the championship rings were even sized, he was already looking for the exit.
Now, before we pile on the kid, let's be fair: the system created this. The transfer portal combined with NIL money has turned college football into free agency on steroids. Players have leverage, and they're using it. Can you blame them?
But man, it still stings. It still feels wrong. There's something fundamentally broken about a sport where you can win the ultimate prize and then immediately bolt for greener pastures.
Mendoza is heading to Georgia Tech, which has been rebuilding under their coaching staff and clearly made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Maybe it's more money. Maybe it's more playing time. Maybe it's a better scheme fit. We don't know the specifics, but we know the result: Indiana loses their national championship quarterback.
This is the new reality of college sports. Coaches have been jumping ship for better jobs since the beginning of time. Now players have the same freedom. It's only fair, right?
Except it doesn't feel fair to the fans who invested emotionally in these players. It doesn't feel fair to the teammates who built something special together. It doesn't feel fair to the tradition and history of the sport.
But fairness doesn't drive the bus anymore. Money and opportunity do.
For Georgia Tech, this is a massive win. They just landed a proven quarterback with championship experience. For Indiana, it's a gut punch - the kind that defines the portal era. You can build something special, achieve the pinnacle of success, and still watch it all walk out the door.
The portal giveth, and the portal taketh away.
That's what sports is all about, folks. Except lately, it feels less like sports and more like business. And that's the saddest part of all.
