Mark Cuban Reveals the 1-of-1 Fernando Mendoza Card He Bought

Another billionaire television star has entered the card collecting hobby. Mark Cuban, former owner of the Dallas Mavericks and entrepreneur, has acquired one of Fernando Mendoza's one-of-one rookie patch autographed (RPA) cards. Cuban follows his Shark Tank co-star Kevin O'Leary in buying into a high-value card.

The card Cuban purchased of the 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick is Mendoza's 1-of-1 RPA out of 2026 Topps Flagship Football, which was released at the end of August.

Mark Cuban just acquired a Fernando Mendoza 1/1 RPA pic.twitter.com/vDcr9xs37t
— Alt (@altxyzofficial) October 28, 2026

How The Purchase Happened

According to multiple social media outlets, the card was pulled by a collector, and that collector personally emailed Cuban to ask about his interest in it. Cuban then consulted with another party, who happened to be his son, Jake.

Jake, an avid sports card collector, gave his father the good and the bad. His advice must have been a good enough reason for Cuban to broker the deal, because he bought the card. It has not yet been made public how much he agreed to pay for the card.

"If Fernando sucks, then you're an idiot," Jake Cuban said. "If Fernando is who you think he is and he's going to be great, then it would be a bargain."

Cuban's Connection to the Card, and Mendoza

fernando mendoza — Oct 18, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) exits the field after the game against the Buffalo Bills | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cuban's connection to the Mendoza card and the player himself is deeper than a piece of cardboard. He notably went to Indiana University, where he entered the Kelley School of Business and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in management.

Aside from being an alumni of Indiana University, Cuban himself came out in early May and said he had personally bankrolled the NIL deal that brought Mendoza to Indiana.

"I'll put up the money and we can go get Fernando [Mendoza]."

Mark Cuban tells FOS that he provided the NIL money which allowed Indiana to sign the Heisman winning QB before the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/BZAFOSt6ng
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 5, 2026

The deal turned out alright for Cuban and Indiana University. Indiana went 16-0, and Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and went on to win the school's first National Championship in football.

What Do Other 1-of-1 Sales Look Like?

According to Card Ladder, Mendoza's top documented sale of a one-of-one Mendoza is his 2025 Bowman Chrome University one-of-one superfractor, graded a BGS Mint 9. Card Ladder shows that this piece sold on January 29, 2026, 10 days after he won the FBS National Championship, for $78,000.

Alt carried the auction, and it garnered 50 bids before ending. Card Ladder currently puts a value of this card at $84,640.

Three Cards Tied for Highest 1-of-1 Sale In A Raiders Uniform

Fernando Mendoza has very few cards featuring him as a Raider. Collectors are limited to 2026 Flagship, Bowman Football, and Topps Now Releases.

This card comes out of the 2026 Topps Flagship. His one-of-one 1991 Platinum parallel autograph sold for a best offer of $25,000 on September 23, 2026. It looks like the card was originally listed at $37,000 before the lower amount was accepted.

Will We Ever Know How Much Mark Cuban Paid for the Card?

It remains to be seen if the public will ever know how much Cuban paid for the card. Because it hasn't been publicized, and given that he sort of did the deal with his son's consultation, maybe he didn't buy it to make headlines or make a profit.

He has an incredible connection to both Indiana and Fernando Mendoza, so maybe this is just collecting in its purest form, and Cuban has the economic stability to pay for one of the rarest cards of the young quarterback.

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