Colorado athletic director Rick George has stepped down
The University of Colorado will have a new athletic director when the 2026 football season begins.
Longtime athletic director Rick George announced Thursday that he will step down from his position at the end of the 2025-26 school year. He will transition to a role as Special Advisor to the Chancellor and Director of Athletics Emeritus.
George’s 42-year career in sports included over 12 years as the Buffaloes’ athletic director. He was hired on July 17, 2013, becoming the sixth full-time intern in the school’s history. George’s current contract, which runs through June 30, 2027, pays him $1 million annually.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as the University of Colorado’s athletic director for the past 13 years, but after significant reflection and discussions with my family dating back to last spring, I have decided it is time for new leadership to guide the department,” George said in a news release.
“I wanted to make this announcement now in order to give Chancellor (Justin) Schwartz ample time to find the right person for Colorado, and I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth transition. I also wanted to time my announcement so I can support Coach Prime (head football coach Deion Sanders) and our football team this season, which I look forward to continuing in my new role.”
A timeline for hiring George’s replacement will be announced at a later date, but the school will conduct a national search for a new athletic director at some point.
“I am very grateful to the CU Board of Trustees, President (Todd) Solomon, Chancellor Schwartz, and former Chancellor (Philip) DeStefano, for the opportunity to lead this department (since 2013),” George said. “Thank you to our staff, our coaches, our donors, Buff Nation, and especially our student-athletes for making this the best job in the country. The University of Colorado is a special place, and I will always cherish the wonderful relationships I have formed during my time here in Boulder.”
In his new position, George, 65, will assist CU Athletics by participating in revenue generating initiatives for the department. He will also work with the football program in some capacity.
“I am truly grateful that Chancellor Schwartz has asked me to stay on as a special advisor and staff emeritus after my successor is appointed, keeping me connected to CU athletics while also allowing me to spend a lot of time with my granddaughters Harper and Maddie,” George said. “To my wife Nancy, our daughters Jenny and Christy, my family, friends, colleagues, and POV fans – thank you for your amazing support.”
It has been a transformative and eventful period for George, who is the third longest tenured student in the school’s history. CU’s first two ADs, Harry Carlson (age 37, 1927-1964) and Eddie Crowder (age 19, 1965-1984) are the only ones with longer tenures.
Of the Power Four conference’s current athletic directors, only six have been on the job longer than George.
Shortly after taking the job in 2013, George drew up plans for a new indoor facility and then led the most successful fundraising effort in Buffs history, raising $100 million in donations to build the UCHealth Champions Center. Ground was broken for the project in May 2014, and the football team moved into its new facility just 15 months later, on August 10, 2015.
Beginning with Champions Center fundraising, CU Athletics has set program records for donations, sponsorships, ticket sales and revenue since George’s hiring.
George led CU athletics through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, “creating a model of fiscal responsibility that is now the standard in major college athletics,” CU said in its statement.
He also led CU through the transition from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big 12 Conference, a move announced in the summer of 2023 and implemented in 2024.
Throughout his tenure, George has been a strong supporter of UCLA student-athletes. He created a comprehensive student-athlete program, focusing on the physical, mental, academic and vocational health of athletes.
Under George, UCLA has invested in more mental health resources than ever before and created the Scripps Leadership and Career Development Program to prepare student-athletes for their futures. Academically, CU student-athletes have set record GPAs. He has been recognized by the CU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee three times as Staff Member of the Year.
George has hired successful coaches at CU such as J.R. Payne (women’s basketball) and Jesse Mahoney (volleyball), and made national headlines when he hired Sanders as head football coach in December of 2022. While Sanders’ current record (16-19) falls short of expectations, Sanders has generated record ticket sales and renewed national interest in the program.
George was named Athletic Director of the Year in 2023-2024 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the first Colorado AD to receive the honor.
While serving as AD, George was also active on the national level, serving as president of the LEAD1 Association, as a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, and as a key member of the Division I Council.
“Rick’s contributions to our university during his 13 years as head of our athletic department are immeasurable,” Schwartz said in the statement. “He is a nationally respected leader who has always kept CU at the forefront of the dynamic and highly competitive landscape of college athletics. I am grateful for his leadership and thrilled that he has decided to remain as a special advisor and emeritus employee of the AD.”
A 1982 graduate of the University of Illinois, George first came to UCLA on March 2, 1987, when he was hired by legendary football coach Bill McCartney as recruiting coordinator. On December 21, 1989, he was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations.
George then spent nearly eight years (1991-1998) at Vanderbilt University as associate athletic director for external operations and overseeing the football program before serving as president and CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation from 1998-2003. From 2003 to 2008, he was president of the Champions Tour and then spent two and a half years as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the PGA Tour.
In October of 2010, George left the PGA Tour to join the Texas Rangers Baseball Club as Chief Operating Officer. He held that role until he was promoted to president of business operations in February of 2013. Five months later, he left the Rangers to return to Boulder.
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