Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, took time away from the Las Vegas Raiders to turn his tassel, and perhaps, show off his arm by flinging his cap in a graduation ceremony this weekend.

But it wasn’t at Indiana’s commencement ceremony – he went back to Cal.

Mendoza, who missed a White House visit with his Hoosiers teammates earlier this month to focus on his time with his new NFL squad, was a part of Cal’s MBA commencement ceremony on Saturday after previously missing their undergraduate ceremony this past Wednesday.

Once again, Mendoza didn’t want to leave his Raiders teammates, but Jenny Chatman, dean of the Haas School of Business at Cal, made an exception for the man who completed his degree at Cal.

During the ceremony, Chatman paused to share the surprise that Mendoza would be able to walk the stage for his undergraduate degree.

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“We have one Haas undergraduate student who couldn’t make it to commencement on Wednesday. So, I hope you don’t mind I invited this person to our MBA commencement,” Chatman told the crowd. “He actually had a really good excuse for missing commencement. He used his Haas skills and coursework to negotiate an excellent job and an excellent comp package.

“But he wasn’t able to change his start date when he needed to report to his new job, so can you please help me in welcoming Las Vegas Raider, Heisman Trophy winner, Haas graduate and Cal Bear forever, Fernando Mendoza.”

The surprise led to a great number of cheers for Mendoza who, as always, had a bright smile on his face as he walked across the stage and accepted his degree in business administration and management.

Mendoza finished that degree while enrolled in a master’s program at Indiana in 2025.

During that time tackling two workloads with two different schools, Mendoza was also leading the Hoosiers to a historic undefeated season under head coach Curt Cignetti, ultimately leading to a national championship victory in his home Miami against his hometown Miami Hurricanes.

It was during the undefeated season that Mendoza cemented himself as the top quarterback option in this year’s draft, and the Raiders, a team desperate for a quarterback of the future, confirmed all predictions that he would go first overall this past month.

Now, his focus is on how he can impact his new franchise, whether he’s starting or not. Veteran Kirk Cousins is also on the quarterbacks depth chart in “Sin City,” and new head coach Klint Kubiak has mentioned the ideal scenario where Cousins starts Week 1, with Mendoza developing and learning behind him before taking over under center.

It’s because of that focus Mendoza said he wouldn’t be joining his Hoosier teammates in the nation’s capital for a White House ceremony celebrating their national championship.

President Donald Trump revealed that Mendoza did call him and they had a conversation.

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“He called me and explained why he couldn’t be here,” Trump told the group at the White House during the ceremony.

“If he was not here for any other reason. If he did not like Trump, I would not have mentioned him for any other reason. I like him, he’s actually a big fan of what we’re doing… Fernando couldn’t be here today because he’s now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. I hope he does good.”

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Recent losses, outside criticism and a sense that the team’s identity has strayed from its original path have left LAFC in an uncomfortable position.

As the team prepares to host the Seattle Sounders on Sunday at BMO Stadium before a mandatory break for the World Cup, coach Marc Dos Santos shared his thoughts on the team’s adversity and goals for the future.

The coach said one of his main self-criticisms involved straying from the attacking identity he intended to build at LAFC since taking over as head coach.

“Outside criticism when the team loses isn’t that important to me because I’ve learned in my life that if you’re going to build a life based on what outsiders think of you, you’re going to be very unhappy,” Dos Santos said. “But in self-reflection, I’ll tell you one thing: I’m hard on myself. I believe we were building something with a clear identity, and after the series against Cruz Azul — in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals — I thought about switching to a three-man backline to defend more. I went in a more defensive direction, and I don’t want to be like that.”

The coach said the tactical change was the wrong move for LAFC.

“It was a mistake on my part, and it doesn’t reflect LAFC’s identity — it’s not what I want to build here,” Dos Santos said. “I want to make sure that this summer I thoroughly analyze what we need to change, and I have to stay true to LAFC’s identity.”

The comments come at a delicate time for LAFC, which has let potential MLS wins slip away despite showing competitive moments recently against St. Louis City SC and Nashville SC.

LAFC had hoped to once again be one of the dominant teams in the Western Conference, but offensive inconsistencies and tactical adjustments have led to questions about the coaching staff. The Los Angeles side sits in seventh place in the West with 21 points, eight points behind the leader, the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Dos Santos dismissed the idea that the problem is solely related to the tactical scheme and insisted that the most important change involves reclaiming aggressive principles with and without the ball.

“When we have the ball, we have to show the character to go after it — we can’t be afraid,” he said. “And when we don’t have the ball, we can’t just sit back. Look at one of the best teams in the world, Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Look at how they run without the ball. That’s soccer today.”

Amid this soccer overhaul, one of the most closely watched names remains Denis Bouanga. The Gabonese forward hasn’t made the same dominant influence as in previous seasons, though Dos Santos insisted that his relationship with the player remains solid and transparent.

“Denis knows what I want. I’ve always been very honest with him,” the coach said. “Last year we played a lot of games in a 3-5-2, defending a lot with Denis and Son [Heung-min,] but the club and I want to move to a different model. We’re all on the same page.”

Son Heung-min will temporarily leave LAFC after the match against Seattle to join South Korea’s training camp ahead of the World Cup, which will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The Asian forward said his full focus remains on this weekend’s match.

“I’m not thinking about that yet,” Son said of the World Cup. “The most important match is on Sunday. I just want to make sure we get a great result before heading to the World Cup and arrive in good physical condition.”

Son expects to be tested when South Korea travels to Mexico to play some of its World Cup matches.

“It’s not easy in Mexico, honestly,” he explained. “The altitude and conditions are different, but you have to love those big challenges. We’re really excited.”

As Son prepares to leave, LAFC faces a second-half schedule filled with intense competition. Following the match against Seattle, the club will return from the break to play against the rival Galaxy on July 17.

For Dos Santos, these challenges define the demands of managing LAFC.

“LAFC is a club that wants to win and whose fans want to see it win,” Dos Santos said. “Here, there’s always the responsibility to perform at a [high level]. If you don’t want to be in big games, you don’t coach at LAFC.”

The coach said external criticism isn’t influencing his plans.

“The pressure we feel is the pressure we put on ourselves,” Dos Santos said. “Pressure is when a doctor calls you and tells you you have a problem, or when your child has a problem. Soccer is a sport. You can win or lose. What you can control is improving the team during the week.”

Dos Santos said the World Cup break will serve as a key opportunity for internal analysis before redefining the club’s soccer direction. With the season barely halfway through, the coach said that regaining the team’s identity will be just as important as earning points when MLS returns in the summer.

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

The New York Knicks took a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday as the franchise eyes its first NBA Finals berth since 1999.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points to lead New York to a 121-108 win over Cleveland, while Mikal Bridges added 22 as the Knicks never trailed in Game 3.

New York is the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight during a postseason run. The last team to do it was the Boston Celtics, who also went on a 10-game run on their way to the 2024 title.

All but one of the Knicks’ wins have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 22.5 points.

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell finished with 23 points in 38 minutes, while teammate James Harden added 21. Cleveland shot 12 of 41 from 3-point range and 12 of 19 from the foul line.

Cleveland rallied and tied it at 50-all on a jumper by Harden before the Knicks countered with a 10-1 run. They went into halftime with a 60-54 advantage.

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Music superstar Taylor Swift was courtside for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night alongside fiancé and Ohio native Travis Kelce.

Swift and Kelce, who recently signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, took their seats in Rocket Arena shortly before the opening tip.

With the Cavs trailing 91-82 at the end of the third quarter, Kelce and Swift were shown on the arena’s giant scoreboard. Fans cheered wildly as Kelce showed off his team cap and wine-and-gold shirt.

Game 4 is set for Monday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The series will return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Wednesday, if necessary.

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Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs will host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 on Sunday night. Oklahoma City enters the matchup with a 2-1 series lead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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