Colorado has apparently targeted its new leader for the athletic department.
CU athletics has zeroed in on New Mexico athletic director Fernando Lovo to succeed Rick George as the Buffaloes’ athletic director, per a report posted Saturday night by Yahoo Sports.
Lovo was hired at New Mexico just one year ago, but he owns a lengthy background in athletics administration.
Prior to New Mexico, Lovo worked two different stints at the University of Texas, including the three years before getting hired at New Mexico. During his second tenure at Texas, Lovo filled several administrative roles, finishing that stint as the Longhorns’ Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director.
Lovo was the Chief of Staff for football at Texas from 2016 through 2021, when he took a Chief of Staff position with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars before returning to Texas.
George announced in November he will be stepping down from a job he has held since 2013 following the 2025-26 academic year. CU’s new leader will be tasked with navigating the athletic department through what is projected as a significant budget deficit while a new era of college athletics featuring unrestrained player movement, shifting eligibility rules and direct NIL/revenue payments continues to evolve.
“I think it’s important that somebody that comes in here understands how to run a business,” George told the Daily Camera in November, “because this is a business.”
CU has not made any official announcement regarding the AD position, and any new hire will have to be approved by the school’s board of regents.
