BOULDER — Colorado’s search for a new athletic director has come to an end.

After the board of regents unanimously approved his contract Monday, the Buffaloes are hiring New Mexico athletic director Fernando Lovo for the same position at CU. Lovo will replace Rick George, who has led the Colorado athletic department since 2013.

According to his contract, Lovo will start his position in Boulder this week. He earned a five-year contract worth $1.2 million per year, the highest for any athletic director at CU, when counting for base and supplemental salary. There are also additional incentives for academic performance, fundraising and attendance that can increase his yearly pay.

Lovo, a 37-year-old from Miami, has spent the last year as the athletic director of the Lobos, where he accomplished plenty in just 12 months. In his first week, he had to hire a football coach, landing Idaho’s Jason Eck to replace Bronco Mendenhall, who left for Utah State.

In his first season, Eck led the Lobos to the program’s best season in decades with a nine-win season and an appearance in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Lovo signed Eck to a multi-year extension during the season.

UNM also had the best year-over-year improvement in average home attendance at the FBS level, up to over 25,000 per game from 16,000 per game in 2024. 

The Lobos also saw continued success on the basketball court during Lovo’s lone year in Albuquerque as UNM made the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season, but that also brought a challenge as Lovo had to replace coach Richard Pitino, who departed for Xavier. Lovo brought Eric Olen to New Mexico after a record-setting season and an NCAA Tournament appearance with UC San Diego.

Overall, Lovo led a record fundraising year for the Lobos and guided the entire athletic department to a 49th-place finish in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, the highest finish for any Group of Five school.

Prior to joining UNM, Lovo spent time at Texas, Houston, Ohio State and with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL, holding various positions at each stop, ranging from chief of staff to several associate athletic director roles.