The University of Colorado is in the market for a new athletic director. And the name generating the most buzz has championship credentials. Rick George announced in November 2025 that he would step down at the end of the academic year following 13 years at the helm. While multiple candidates have reportedly been in the mix, one name has dominated the rumor mill: Fernando Lovo, the 37-year-old athletic director at New Mexico.

The speculation reached its peak when Ryan Koenigsberg, co-host of DNVR Buffs, broke the news on X. “Per sources, the University of Colorado is hiring New Mexico Athletic Director Fernando Lovo as their new Athletic Director,” Koenigsberg wrote. “Lovo, 37, spent time at Florida, Houston, Ohio State, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Texas before becoming the AD at UNM in 2024. Great hire for the Buffs.”

What makes Lovo such an intriguing candidate is his direct connection to Urban Meyer. Fernando Lovo was part of Meyer’s Ohio State staff during the Buckeyes’ 2014 National Championship season. It gave him firsthand experience in what it takes to build a title-winning operation. But that wasn’t even his first rodeo with Meyer. Lovo had previously worked with him at Florida, where he was on staff for two national championships as a student assistant. His relationship with Meyer even extended to the NFL when he followed the legendary coach to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Despite the excitement from Colorado fans, the deal isn’t sealed yet. And conflicting reports have muddied the waters. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger confirmed that Colorado is indeed “targeting” Lovo, but stressed that no deal has been finalized. Adding to the uncertainty, the University of New Mexico released an official statement pushing back against the reports.

“The University of New Mexico is aware of media reports regarding potential professional opportunities involving UNM’s Athletic Director. At this time, no final decisions have been made, and no changes to leadership have occurred.” The statement emphasized that UNM Athletics is operating as normal and promised updates “at the appropriate time” if anything changes.​

The contradictory signals have left both fanbases in limbo. While a local Albuquerque outlet reported that sources indicate Fernando Lovo “will be departing Albuquerque for Boulder.” UNM’s official stance suggests nothing is set in stone. For Colorado, the waiting game continues as they try to lock down an AD who can support Deion Sanders’ vision and navigate the challenges of NIL, fundraising, and recruiting.

From equipment room to executive suite

Fernando Lovo’s rise through the college football ranks reads like a masterclass in patience and progression. He started at the bottom. He was literally managing equipment for Florida’s football team in 2008. After a stint as an operations assistant with the Gators, where he was part of two national championship teams under Urban Meyer, Lovo landed at Ohio State in 2012 as their football operations coordinator.

That three-year run in Columbus proved transformative. It culminated in the Buckeyes’ 2014 national title. From there, Lovo bounced between high-profile programs. He served as assistant AD at Houston, chief of staff at Texas for four years, and even followed Meyer to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars. By the time New Mexico came calling in December 2024, he’d built a resume that was ready for a big role.

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At UNM, Lovo nailed hiring Jason Eck from Idaho and Eric Olen from UC San Diego. Lovo grew the athletic department’s budget by 17.6 percent while setting records in ticket sales, fundraising, and multimedia rights. And now, he might be en route to Boulder.