Rick George announced yesterday that he is retiring as Athletic Director at CU and moving into a newly invented role as AD Emeritus where he will participate in “revenue generating initiatives for the athletic department.”
In big-time college sports, it’s always about the money.
George leaves behind a legacy that’s complicated. While there were pluses and minuses to his time at CU, few will argue that he transformed CU’s athletic department.
One of his earliest accomplishments was spearheading a $142 million fundraising campaign to build the Champions Center and the Ford Indoor Practice Facility. These facilities, long overdue, made CU’s facilities competitive nationally. George also kept the department afloat through the 100-yard flood and worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, two events that were probably not covered in his job description.
George also helped navigate CU through conference realignment waters to land the Buffs back in the Big 12 Conference.
And then there’s the headline act: the hiring of Deion Sanders as head football coach in December 2022. It was the most audacious swing in CU athletic history. His decision instantly put the Buffs in the national spotlight and made Boulder the center of the college football world for much of 2023 and 2024. The hiring led to sold out stadiums and unprecedented TV viewership, although this year cracks in the foundation of the program have appeared.
Despite these successes, he’s had several damaging failures.
The football program, the engine of every power 4 conference athletic department, struggled for most of his reign. He extended Mike MacIntyre in 2016, only to fire him two years later. In 2019, after Mel Tucker bolted to Michigan State (hey, how did that work out for you, Spartans?), George hurriedly hired Karl Dorrell. This panic move, which came out of nowhere, backfired. Dorrell was fired in 2022 as the Buffs limped to a 1-11 record.
George also fell short in two critical areas: landing CU in the Big 10 or SEC, and fundraising for major Folsom Field and CU Events Center upgrades that CU still badly needs.
In the end, Rick George leaves Boulder with a mixed but meaningful legacy: Champions Center built, national visibility restored, and conference home stabilized. However, football consistency and major fundraising gaps are looming for whoever takes the chair next.
Bring on the Hot Board
We’ve been on the phone all afternoon to compile this hot board. Some of these names are known, while others are probably new names for most of the readers of this blog.
The one thing that everyone I talked to agrees with is that, in 2025, the job description for a Power 4 Athletic Director is simple: 1) Fundraise. 2) Fundraise. 3) …yep, fundraise. If an AD can charm billionaires and sweet-talk CEOs to part with their hard-earned money, then they’re qualified.
Let’s jump right in….
The Leaders in the Clubhouse
Jeremy Bloom – CEO of X Games
Background: Jeremy Bloom is one of CU’s most famous alumni. A former CU football All-American and Olympic skier, Bloom built a successful post-athletic career in business and sports media. At just 43, Bloom is currently the CEO of the X Games, where he’s led a rebranding and expansion of the franchise. The X Games is currently owned by MSP Sports Capital, a private equity group that acquired a controlling interest from ESPN in 2022.
Why He’s a Strong Candidate: Bloom offers star power and a passion for CU that could energize the fanbase and donors. As a two-sport Buff who fought the NCAA over amateurism rules, he understands the student-athlete experience and the changing landscape of NIL.
More importantly, however, he has demonstrated leadership and fundraising ability outside of college athletics. Bloom served as co-founder and CEO of the software company Integrate, which raised over $60 million in venture capital money, including funds from big hitters like Comcast Ventures, Liberty Group, and Boulder’s own Foundry Group. Bloom also raised significant capital for charitable causes, including Wish of a Lifetime, a non-profit founded by Bloom which provides Make-A-Wish type dreams for older adults.
Bloom will excel at courting donors and corporate partners for CU. He’s charismatic and media-savvy. However, Bloom lacks direct collegiate administrative experience. If Rick George sticks around and mentors Bloom in his role as AD Emeritus, then some of these “lack of experience” concerns may be alleviated. In any event, Bloom would bring a fresh, innovative perspective to the AD’s office.
JD Wicker – Athletic Director, San Diego State
Background: JD Wicker is considered one of the country’s top young athletic directors. Wicker has served as athletic director at San Diego State since 2016. Prior to his stint in San Diego, Wicker was Associate AD at Washington State.
Why He’s a Strong Candidate: Wicker is seen as probably the top up-and-coming Athletic Director in the Western United States. Since taking over at SDSU in 2016, Wicker has turned what was once a chronically underfunded Mountain West department into one of the most forward-looking mid-major programs in the country. His signature accomplishment is Snapdragon Stadium, a $310 million privately financed stadium that opened in 2022. Wicker was the architect of the project from concept to financing to construction.
Under Wicker, SDSU also became a national player in basketball. He invested aggressively in facilities, analytics, recruiting infrastructure, and coaching retention. Brian Dutcher’s Final Four run in 2023 was built on the foundation Wicker funded and protected.
Last, and critically, Wicker is known for his work in the emerging world of NIL and collective governance. SDSU is one of the few Group-of-6 schools with a well-structured, donor-aligned NIL ecosystem. Wicker would be a fantastic hire and would help jumpstart CU’s fundraising with little-to-no ramp-up time.
Nathan Pine – Athletic Director, Air Force
Background: Nathan Pine has been the Athletic Director at the Air Force Academy since 2017. Competitively, Air Force has topped the Mountain West in overall sports performance (winning the conference’s all-sports trophy four times) and regularly outperformed Army and Navy in the Director’s Cup standings.
However, Pine’s biggest achievements are on the fundraising and modernization front. Pine revamped the Falcons’ fundraising arm (creating the “Falcon Athletic Fund”) and successfully led multiple facility upgrades, including a new $90 million East Club at Falcon Stadium (opened in 2024) and ongoing renovations of the baseball stadium and other athletic facilities. Prior to Air Force, Pine was AD at Holy Cross and held senior roles at Maryland and Oregon, giving him a Power Four administrative background.
Why He’s a Strong Candidate: Pine is a fundraiser with Colorado ties. In just 7 years, Pine transformed the Falcons’ fundraising operation, growing donor support dramatically. If he can do that at a service academy (with inherent recruiting and donation challenges), he can achieve a lot with CU’s larger alumni base and visibility. Pine also has shown creative marketing and branding skill (leveraging events like having an NHL game played at Falcon Stadium last year).
Another asset is Pine’s familiarity with the Front Range. Pine’s already been working in Colorado for several years, building relationships and understanding the local landscape. Pine has been on the short list for other Pour Four AD openings recently (he was a finalist in the Maryland AD search last year). At CU, Pine would bring youthful energy (he’s in his mid-40s) and a proven formula for donor engagement and facility improvement. While there are concerns about the culture differences between CU and the Air Force Academy, I don’t think that impacts an AD’s job as much as people might think.
Other Strong Candidates
John Currie – Athletic Director, Wake Forest
Background: John Currie is one of the most accomplished athletic directors in the country. Currie has served as AD at Wake Forest since 2019. Previously, Currie served as AD at Kansas State and Tennessee. At Wake Forest, Currie has engineered the most successful fundraising era in the school’s history.
Why He’s a Strong Candidate: At Wake, Currie raised over $150 million for facilities, including the McCreary Football Complex, upgraded basketball arenas, and modernized Olympic sports infrastructure. He’s also been a leader in ACC governance and revenue diversification.
But the biggest feather in Currie’s cap is probably his coaching evaluation skills. How about these hires? Chris Klieman at Kansas State (Klieman is a really strong hire who delivered the Wildcats a Big 12 title), Jerome Tang at Kansas State (Tang has led Kansas State to the Elite Eight twice) and Dave Clawson at Wake Forest (Clawson is the best football coach Wake Forest has ever had.)
Currie earned ACC AD of the Year honor last year, sits on national committees, and is considered one of the most polished public-facing administrators in college sports. He is probably a long-shot, but with his ties to the Big 12, it’s worth a call to see if he’s interested.
Tom Burman – Athletic Director, Wyoming
Background: Tom Burman is a highly respected AD who has been the AD at Wyoming for 19 years. A Wyoming alum, Burman is currently the longest-tenured AD in the conference.
Crucially, Burman has overseen over $120 million in fundraising projects during his tenure as Wyoming’s AD, including facility upgrades and expansions.
Why He’s a Strong Candidate: Burman checks all the boxes of an experienced collegiate athletic director. He’s a proven fundraiser. At Wyoming he set records for season-ticket sales and donations and completed numerous facility projects (over $120 million of projects). Recently, he executed a major renovation of War Memorial Stadium and built a new high-altitude performance center.
Though Burman isn’t a CU alum, he’s a lifelong westerner with extensive connections in the Rocky Mountain region. After nearly two decades at Wyoming, moving to Boulder would be a natural step up. The downside with Burman is that he’s 59 years old. I can see CU trying to bring in someone younger. Still, if CU is seeking a caretaker AD with fundraising skills, Burman would be a strong choice.
Sean Frazier – Athletic Director, Northern Illinois
Background: Sean Frazier is currently the Athletic Director at Northern Illinois University and is seen as a rising star in collegiate athletics administration. Frazier previously spent a decade as Deputy AD at Wisconsin, where he oversaw fundraising during the Badgers’ Rose Bowl years and helped raise $123 million for facility upgrades.
Frazier was recently recognized as one of the nation’s top ADs when Sports Business Journal named him Athletic Director of the Year in 2022. Frazier also made headlines securing Northern Illinois an invitation to join the Mountain West (starting in 2026), a rare leap for a MAC school.
Why He’s a Strong Candidate: Frazier has worked in both a big athletic department at Wisconsin and a smaller department at Northern Illinois. At Northern Illinois, Frazier did more with less – he improved facilities and maintained winning programs on a modest budget. He has been a finalist for several high-profile AD jobs in the past couple of years (including Maryland and Penn State).
Importantly for CU, Frazier understands football’s importance: he has a football background as a former Alabama player and has made successful football coaching hires and extensions at Northern Illinois. His Wisconsin connections and Big Ten experience could help Colorado navigate the changing landscape (e.g. NIL, conference affiliation, playoff expansion) with savvy. Hiring Frazier would also be a landmark for CU as he would become one of the few black athletic directors in the Big 12.
Wild Cards
Matt Russell – Senior Personnel Executive, Philadelphia Eagles
Background: Matt Russell is a Colorado Buffalo legend. A CU Hall of Fame linebacker who starred on the early 1990s teams, Russell won the Butkus Award in 1996 as the nation’s top linebacker. After an NFL playing stint, Russell transitioned into scouting and rose through NFL front offices. Most notably, he spent over a decade with the Denver Broncos, becoming Director of Player Personnel (John Elway’s right-hand man) during the team’s Super Bowl 50 run. Russell was highly regarded for his talent evaluation and leadership in Denver’s organization.
In 2013, when Colorado’s AD job opened, Russell expressed strong interest in the position. While he ultimately stayed with the Broncos, his passion for CU hasn’t wavered. Russell retired from the Broncos in 2020 but remains involved in football with the Eagles and lives in Colorado.
Why He’s a Strong Candidate: Russell offers a unique profile: he’s not a traditional college administrator, but a proven sports executive with championship-level experience. Russell understands what an elite program looks like, as he helped build one with the Broncos. His scouting and player-development background could be valuable when hiring coaches and liaising with donors who are passionate about football success. As a Colorado alum and former All-American, Russell would command enthusiasm from boosters, fans, and former players.
There are real concerns with Russell, however. He hasn’t been a fundraiser, and he has had some legal issues including a DUI. For these reasons, Russell is probably the longest long-shot on this list. Still, he brings an understanding of sports operations at the highest level and loves Colorado.
George Solich – CEO, FourPoint Energy
Background: George Solich is one of CU’s most influential donors. A 1983 graduate of CU’s business school, Solich is currently the CEO of FourPoint Energy. Previously, Solich founded and sold Cordillera Energy Partners, LLC, Cordillera Energy Partners II, LLC, and Cordillera Energy Partners III, LLC for (insert Austin Powers voice) one million dollars (and a couple billion here and there). Solich has been deeply involved with CU for decades. He has served on coaching search committees and has contributed major gifts to CU’s athletics and academic programs.
Why He’s a Strong Candidate: If Colorado prioritizes fundraising above all, it’s hard to find someone better suited than George Solich. He literally has his own deep pockets and an extensive network of fellow donors and corporate partners. Solich would likely boost CU’s donor contributions quickly, perhaps even with an initial personal contribution to set the tone.
Solich’s business acumen and his long involvement with CU give him a unique perspective on how to steer the department financially. The model of a booster-turned-AD has precedent: e.g. Oregon’s Pat Kilkenny was a wealthy donor who served as AD and jump-started major facility projects.
Solich is intimately familiar with CU’s history, challenges, and potential. Critics might note Solich lacks experience running day-to-day operations of an athletic department, but he could hire seasoned administrators under him to handle compliance and operations while he focuses on raising money. His appointment would signal to other big donors that CU is serious about investing in success. Moreover, Solich’s ties to the Front Range community could open new partnerships.
To waste more time in the BuffsBlog blogosphere, check out this article on what CU can learn from a D2 football game:
Some really interesting names. The idea of Solich is intriguing — I mean, CU named Bruce Benson as President largely because he was a huge donor so it’s not out of left field. I just wonder if he’d take the job if offered….
I had that same thought re: Benson when I heard Solich’s name. It makes sense in a lot of ways.