Colorado AD Rick George to step down: What it could mean for Deion Sanders

Rick George announced Thursday that he will retire from his position as Colorado athletic director in July 2026. George, the man who hired Buffaloes’ football coach Deion Sand, will move into a position as a special adviser and work with the new athletic director and university chancellor. George’s 13-year tenure as Colorado’s athletic director will come to an end with this move. George has been highly regarded for his achievements in the Colorado athletic department. The school broke records for fundraising, revenue, and ticket sales under his leadership. They also jumped to the top of the college football scene as a direct result of Sanders’ hiring. George won the 2023-24 award for Athletic Director of Year, as voted by his peers.George stated that “it has been an honor of a life time to serve as the athletic director of the University of Colorado during the last 13 year. However, after extensive thought and discussions with family members dating back to spring last year, I’ve decided it’s time for new leaders to guide the Department.” Colorado said George will continue in his advisory position to assist “revenue-generating projects”. The university will announce its timeline at a future date for hiring a replacement to the athletic director role.George said, “I want to announce this now to give Schwartz time to hire the right person for Colorado. I’m looking forward to doing all I can to make sure that transition is smooth.” George said, “I wanted to make my announcement now so I could support Coach Prime and our football squad this season. I look forward to continuing my new role in my new position.”

Deion’s future is in doubt after athletic director shakeup. With every change of athletic director, questions are raised about the job security of their coaches. Coaches’ leashes are often shortened when new leadership is introduced as the new bosses want to achieve success in their early tenures. Sanders’s long-term prospects with the Buffaloes could be affected by Colorado’s imminent athletic director switch. George hired Sanders in 2023, and this spring he gave him a contract extension of five years, $54 millions, making him one of college’s top 10 coaches. Sanders’ commitment to Hall of Famer Sanders was evident. However, it is not known whether his successor would be just as supportive. It will be a test to see if the new athletics director is committed to maintaining the status quo if Sanders fails in his mission to put the football program on an upward path. Colorado won nine games during the 2017 season, the most since 2016, and the second-most since 2003. Sanders was responsible for the Heisman Award-winning Travis Hunter, and he brought national attention to Boulder. However, this year’s results have not been as good. Sanders’ Buffaloes will miss out on bowl eligibility again this year, with a 3-7 record. Three of their games have been lost by more than 35-point margins.

Sanders’ purchase of $33 million makes firing Sanders prohibitively expensive. A potential fan backlash can also be a deterrent. In the future, George’s replacement could be less hesitant to make a coaching switch, particularly if Sanders is unable to replicate his success in 2024.

2025-11-13 22:08:59