Deion Sanders’ program has its new front-office boss. Just about a month after 65-year-old Rick George stepped aside as Colorado’s athletic director, newly appointed Fernando Lovo is already turning heads. And Urban Meyer has a glowing review to share.

“He’s the best at what he does, regardless of the responsibility,” said the former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach in an interview on January 4. “He will be a great athletic director. He’s the ultimate team player with extremely high character and a high work ethic. He was always a guy I could trust.”

Lovo’s roots trace back to Florida. He worked in football operations at Florida and earned both his undergrad and master’s degrees. That’s when he might have crossed paths with Meyer, who coached the Gators from 2005-2010. The bond grew so strong that Meyer carried Lovo with him to his next head coaching stop at the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Lovo launched his collegiate career at Ohio State, serving as the Football Operations Coordinator from January 2012 to January 2015. He then jumped to Houston as the Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Coming over from the University of New Mexico, Lovo earned a unanimous stamp of approval from the CU Board of Regents. But how is Deion and Co. going to benefit from this hire?

At just 37, Lovo is 21 years younger than Deion. But that does not mean the newly hired Athletic Director lacks experience. He has bounced between college football power hubs, made a pit stop in the NFL as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Chief of Staff, and put in his longest shift with the Texas Longhorns.

Deion was not on the sidelines for the Athletic Director search. According to Chancellor Justin Schwartz, Coach Prime met with finalists, offered his input, and personally met with Lovo. So did George, before the deal was sealed.

“Fernando is a home run hire and the perfect person to lead CU Athletics into this new era of college athletics,” said George. “I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help Fernando get acclimated to CU and am delighted to welcome his family to the campus and Boulder communities.”

George revealed plans to exit the Athletic Director role following the academic year and transition into a dual role as Special Advisor to the Chancellor and Athletics Director Emeritus.

Lovo didn’t need a campus tour to say yes. As noted by Brian Howell, he took the Colorado job without visiting Boulder. He said his first connection to the program came the old-school way, picking Colorado as his team in EA Sports College Football.

Days after Coach Prime’s debut, the Board of Regents extended George through 2027 at $1.1 million a year. Now enter Lovo, who one-upped that number with a five-year, $1.2 million-per-year deal plus incentives, making him the highest-paid Athletic Director Colorado has ever had. 

What made the Buffs make such a bold move for the young Athletic Director?

Fernando Lovo steps in with a strong resume

Within a week of taking the New Mexico job, Lovo was already on the clock. And he delivered like a pro. Tasked with hiring the Lobos’ next head football coach, he hit a home run by poaching Jason Eck, who was in the middle of flipping Idaho’s program. 

Eck’s arrival sparked an immediate turnaround, highlighted by a 9-2 season. Lovo didn’t stop there. He landed Eric Olen as the new men’s basketball head coach, who has opened his tenure at 10-2.

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Lovo’s tenure at New Mexico turned into a trophy run. Since arriving in December 2024, the Lobos claimed eight Mountain West championships, the most of any Mountain West school last year. They also tied for fourth all-time at New Mexico.

As soon as Lovo signed on at Colorado, his to-do list came with dollar signs attached. His deal is loaded with fundraising benchmarks. $25 million by June 2026 for a $200K bonus, then $40 million by 2030, pushing the payout to $250K.

A closer look reveals a stark recruiting divide. Deion has gone all-in on the transfer portal over high school pipelines. Lovo, on the other hand, focuses on building roots in Colorado high schools. 

Deion Sanders and Rick George shared a steady, harmonious partnership. Whether that chemistry carries over with Fernando Lovo, despite their differing recruiting styles, remains to be seen.