Rick George, the athletic director who stabilized the University of Colorado’s athletic department and electrified the college football world by hiring Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, has announced he will step down at the end of the academic year. After a 13-year tenure marked by monumental facility upgrades, record-breaking fundraising, and a conference realignment that secured the program’s future, George will transition into a new advisory role. His leadership has been widely praised for navigating CU through a turbulent era in college sports, culminating in his selection as the 2023-24 National Athletic Director of the Year.

When Rick George was hired in 2013, he returned to a program where he had worked during the 1990 national championship season, inheriting a department struggling for consistent footing. His impact was both immediate and lasting. His tenure will likely be defined by one of the boldest moves in modern college sports history: the hiring of Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders in December 2022. This single move catapulted CU from irrelevancy to the center of the sports universe, resulting in sold-out stadiums, record merchandise sales, and unprecedented national media attention. Just as crucial was his navigation of the collapsing Pac-12 conference. George’s proactive leadership ensured the Buffaloes found a stable home by orchestrating their return to the Big 12 Conference in 2024, a move that has already provided financial security and competitive stability. Additionally, he spearheaded the most successful fundraising campaign in the department’s history, raising over $100 million for the construction of the state-of-the-art UCHealth Champions Center. This facility transformed CU’s football operations, sports medicine, and academic support. While the on-field products were his focus, George also prioritized academics, with CU student-athletes achieving record-high GPAs for 11 consecutive semesters.

According to his official statement, the decision to step down was not sudden. It came after “considerable thought and discussions with his family dating back to last spring.” After 13 years at the helm, the move is seen as a planned transition rather than a departure. George, who also mentioned wanting to spend more time with his granddaughters, has successfully completed his primary objectives. He stabilized the department, rebuilt its facilities, and secured its future in a power conference, leaving the program on vastly more solid ground than when he found it.

George will not be leaving the university entirely. He will transition into a new role as Special Advisor to the Chancellor and Director of Athletics Emeritus. In this capacity, he will assist with the search for his successor, help ensure a smooth transition for the new athletic director, continue to assist with revenue-generating initiatives, and remain an advisor to the football program. The university will now begin a national search for a new athletic director who will be tasked with inheriting the “Prime Effect” and guiding the Buffaloes into their next chapter in the Big 12.