The Unique Plan Colorado Has For Fernando Lovo's Early Arrival

With Thursday being his first official day on the job, new Colorado Buffaloes athletic director Fernando Lovo will get an opportunity to work alongside his predecessor, Rick George, for about six months.

BuffZone's Brian Howell reported Monday that the plan is for Colorado to "essentially" have two working athletic directors as George helps Lovo through the transition. George's contract is set to expire at the end of June, at which point he's expected to remain at CU in an advisory role.

Plan Colorado Fernando Lovo Early Arrival CU Buffs Athletic Director Rick George Deion Sanders College Football New Mexico — Oct 7, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffaloes athletic director Rick George against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“Not only do I like it, I love it,” Lovo told BuffZone of working with George. “Rick is one of the titans of the industry and I’m excited to work with him in this transition.”

Lovo comes to Boulder via the University of New Mexico, where he spent one year as the Lobos' athletic director. At UNM, he helped set new fundraising records and hired head football coach Jason Eck, who won nine games in his first season this past fall.

Chatted briefly with new Colorado AD Fernando Lovo today. Interesting that as of this afternoon, he has never been to Boulder and took the job without visiting. But, growing up, he would play the NCAA Football video game and would often pick CU as his team. #cubuffs
— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) December 29, 2025

Per Howell, Lovo will become the highest-paid athletic director in CU history with his five-year deal worth $1.2 million per year. The 37-year-old Lovo can also earn incentives based on fundraising and attendance success.

Colorado will also pay Lovo's New Mexico buyout, which is expected to be around $800,000, according to Howell.

George announced his semi-retirement in November amid a 13-year run as Colorado's athletic director. In the past three years alone, George hired head football coach Deion Sanders and brought CU back to the Big 12 Conference.

Colorado Chancellor Justin Schwartz Addresses Fernando Lovo Hiring

Schwartz told BuffZone that Colorado initially had 35-40 candidates for the role before narrowing the list down to Lovo.

“When we began our national search for a new Director of Athletics, we sought someone of high character, committed to the student-athlete experience who has an innovative approach to revenue generation,” Schwartz said in a statement. “Fernando is a dynamic leader who is perfect for these dynamic times and embodies CU’s high standards and values.

"He has a proven track record of leading student-athletes to success both in competition and in the classroom, and I’m confident that he is the perfect steward to lead CU Athletics into this new era of college athletics."

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Fernando Lovo's Support For Coach Prime

In an interview with ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Lovo shared that he's in full support of "Coach Prime."

"All the coaches I've worked with, it's always been about trust and alignment and making sure that the coaches know that you're in the foxhole with them, and you're going to do everything in your power to support them," Lovo told ESPN. "Coach Prime's got my full, unequivocal support."

After winning nine games and reaching the Alamo Bowl in 2024, Colorado finished 3-9 in Sanders' third season this past fall.