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The University of Colorado has officially named its next athletic director, announcing that Fernando Lovo will succeed Rick George in leading the CU Athletic Department. At 37, Lovo brings a strong resume and a reputation for decisive leadership, with the Colorado Board of Regents unanimously approving his hiring.
Rick George will move into an athletic director emeritus role, while Lovo is set to begin on January 1, 2026, officially. Colorado chancellor Justin Schwartz praised the hire, calling Lovo "a dynamic leader who is ideal for this moment and embodies CU's standards and values. He has a proven track record of guiding student-athletes to success both on the field and in the classroom, and I am confident he is the right steward to lead CU Athletics into the next era of college sports."
Lovo comes to Boulder from the University of New Mexico, where he served as Vice President and Director of Athletics. After arriving in Albuquerque in December 2024, he oversaw eight Mountain West championships, tied for the fourth most in school history and the most of any conference member last year. One of his first major decisions came in his second week on the job, when he hired Jason Eck as head football coach. Eck quickly delivered, leading the Lobos to a 9–3 regular season, their first nine-win campaign since 2016, and a bowl appearance against Minnesota, while earning Mountain West Coach of the Year honors. Lovo also hired Eric Olen from UC San Diego to lead the men's basketball program, widely regarded as one of the top hires of the offseason, as UNM opened the season 10–2.
Off the field, Lovo led the UNM athletic department to unprecedented financial growth. The department posted a record revenue year, increasing its operating budget by 17.6 percent from 2025 to 2026, while setting new highs in ticket sales, multimedia rights, parking, concessions, trademark and licensing revenue and Lobo Club fundraising.
Before his tenure at New Mexico, Lovo spent two stints at the University of Texas at Austin in various senior administrative roles. Beginning in December 2021, he served as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facilities and Operations before being promoted to oversee facilities, capital projects and game operations. He later advanced to Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Operations, where he also acted as the sport administrator for men's basketball and played a key role in department-wide planning and execution.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado officially names Fernando Lovo athletic director
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Rick George will move into an athletic director emeritus role, while Lovo is set to begin on January 1, 2026, officially. Colorado chancellor Justin Schwartz praised the hire, calling Lovo "a dynamic leader who is ideal for this moment and embodies CU's standards and values. He has a proven track record of guiding student-athletes to success both on the field and in the classroom, and I am confident he is the right steward to lead CU Athletics into the next era of college sports."
Lovo comes to Boulder from the University of New Mexico, where he served as Vice President and Director of Athletics. After arriving in Albuquerque in December 2024, he oversaw eight Mountain West championships, tied for the fourth most in school history and the most of any conference member last year. One of his first major decisions came in his second week on the job, when he hired Jason Eck as head football coach. Eck quickly delivered, leading the Lobos to a 9–3 regular season, their first nine-win campaign since 2016, and a bowl appearance against Minnesota, while earning Mountain West Coach of the Year honors. Lovo also hired Eric Olen from UC San Diego to lead the men's basketball program, widely regarded as one of the top hires of the offseason, as UNM opened the season 10–2.
Off the field, Lovo led the UNM athletic department to unprecedented financial growth. The department posted a record revenue year, increasing its operating budget by 17.6 percent from 2025 to 2026, while setting new highs in ticket sales, multimedia rights, parking, concessions, trademark and licensing revenue and Lobo Club fundraising.
Before his tenure at New Mexico, Lovo spent two stints at the University of Texas at Austin in various senior administrative roles. Beginning in December 2021, he served as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facilities and Operations before being promoted to oversee facilities, capital projects and game operations. He later advanced to Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Operations, where he also acted as the sport administrator for men's basketball and played a key role in department-wide planning and execution.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado officially names Fernando Lovo athletic director
Continue reading...
