Colorado AD Rick George to step down in 2026: What it means for Deion Sanders' future as Buffaloes coach

Colorado athletic director Rick George will step away from his role in July 2026, he announced on Thursday. George, who hired Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders, will transition into a special adviser position and assist the university chancellor and new athletic director. It is a move several months in the making, he said, and will bring an end to his 13-year run as athletic director.

George is highly regarded nationally for his achievements with the Colorado athletic department. Under his watch, the school set records in fundraising, ticket sales and revenue and leapt to the forefront of the college football landscape as a result of his hiring of Sanders. George earned the 2023-24 Athletic Director of the Year award, as voted on by his peers.

"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as athletic director for the University of Colorado for the last 13 years, but after considerable thought and discussions with my family dating back to last spring, I have decided it is time for new leadership to guide the department," George said.

Colorado said George will continue to assist in "revenue-generating initiatives" in his advisory role. The university will announce at a later date its timeline for hiring a successor to the athletic director position.

"I wanted to make this announcement now in order to give chancellor Schwartz plenty of time to find the right person for Colorado, and I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth transition," George said. "I also wanted to time my announcement so that I could support coach Prime and our football team this season, which I'm looking forward to continuing in my new role."

Athletic director shakeup puts Deion Sanders' future in question

With every athletic director change comes questions about their coaches' job security. When new leadership arrives, coaches' leashes often become shorter as their new bosses seek to ensure success early in their tenures. For Sanders, Colorado's looming athletic director swap could spell trouble for his long-term outlook with the Buffaloes.

George hired Sanders in 2023 and this spring gave him a five-year, $54 million contract extension to make him one of college football's 10 highest-paid coaches. His commitment to the Hall of Famer was obvious, but whether his successor will be as ardently supportive of Sanders is unknown. If Sanders cannot put the football program back on an upward trajectory, it will be a test of the new athletic director's commitment to the status quo.

Colorado won nine games last season, good for its most since 2016 and second-most since 2002. Sanders produced a Heisman Trophy winner in Travis Hunter and directed immense national attention to Boulder in the process. This year has not been nearly as fruitful, though. At 3-7 overall, the Buffaloes are already guaranteed to miss bowl eligibility for the second time in Sanders' three-year tenure. They have lost three consecutive games, and two of those defeats came by 35 points or more.

Sanders' $33 million buyout likely makes a firing cost-prohibitive. Potential fan backlash is a preventing factor, too. But in the years to come, George's successor could find it less of a burden to launch a coaching change, especially if Sanders cannot replicate his 2024 success.