More than half a year into his tenure as Director of Athletics at the University of Colorado, Fernando Lovo is still adjusting to the pace of one of college athletics' most visible jobs. He jokes that the transition is like "drinking from a fire hose," but the whirlwind has not dampened his enthusiasm or spirit. If anything, it has reinforced why he came to Boulder.
Lovo arrived at CU during one of the most transformative periods in college sports, where NIL agreements, the transfer portal, and shifting conference landscapes have fundamentally changed how athletic departments operate. Yet while the business of college athletics continues to evolve, Lovo's vision is rooted in something much more enduring: developing student-athletes, building trust, and strengthening the connection between the university and the Boulder community.
"I was a sports junkie growing up,” Lovo says. “It always gave me joy to play and be part of a team and to compete. It was always part of my DNA." Lovo credits his father for instilling a strong work ethic and humility, which he has fully incorporated into his successive leadership roles.
While studying as an undergraduate at the University of Florida, Lovo started as a student football equipment manager, moving on to football operations assistant. His original vision was to pursue a law degree and become a sports agent, but what he describes as “being at the right place at the right time around the right people” changed his career path.
Lovo’s early experiences, coupled with opportunities to work under championship coaches and respected administrators, shaped a career that has included leadership roles at Florida, Ohio State, Houston, Texas, the NFL, and most recently the University of New Mexico before arriving in Boulder.
Looking back, Lovo credits much of his journey to being surrounded by exceptional mentors. He points to former football coach Urban Meyer, whom he worked with at both Florida and Ohio State, introducing him to a leadership philosophy that continues to guide his decision-making. "He taught me a lot about the performance pathway…" says Lovo. “Leaders create the culture, culture creates the behavior, and then behavior produces results."
That philosophy is balanced by another lesson learned from longtime Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte: relationships matter. "I look at trust in three different and distinct ways," Lovo says. "Character, competency, and connection. Do you do what you say you're going to do? Do people feel like you're making them better? And the old adage: people don't care what you know until they know how much you care."
Those principles have become the foundation of how he leads Colorado Athletics—not simply as an administrator overseeing wins and losses, but as someone responsible for the growth of hundreds of young people.
"Our North Star is to graduate our student-athletes,” explains Lovo. “To develop them and prepare them so that when the cheering stops, they're ready to succeed in life, both professionally and personally… Their mental health, their nutrition, their strength and conditioning, their leadership and career development. All of those things we pour into. It's a priority for us and something that we'll never lose sight of. It's core to who we are."
That student-first philosophy was one of the reasons Boulder appealed to him in the first place. Beyond its reputation as one of the nation's premier college towns, Lovo saw a university with world-class academics and a globally recognized athletic brand. But what has impressed him most since arriving isn't just the institution—it's the community that surrounds it.
That connection has inspired Lovo to make community engagement a central part of his leadership. Rather than expecting fans to come to campus, he wants CU Athletics to meet people where they are, creating more opportunities for connection throughout Boulder.
"We're being intentional about doing things to get out in the community…and meet our folks where they're at, so that they know we love them, we need them,” explains Lovo. “We want their support, and I know they're willing to give it to us. We just need to earn their trust." With the first full year in his role on the horizon, a sense of anticipation is building. "The energy around campus in this community is really special," Lovo says. “There’s no better place to be than Boulder.”
For Lovo, success won't simply be measured by championships, although he is quick to acknowledge that winning matters. "We want to compete at the highest level,” Lovo says. “We want to win and compete for championships on a regular basis." But when he imagines looking back a decade from now, another measure of success stands alongside victories on the field: graduates succeeding in life, alumni remaining deeply connected to the university, and a community that sees itself as an essential part of CU Athletics.
"Athletics is not the most important part of the institution," Lovo says, "but it is the most visible. We have the opportunity to bring people back, unite people, regardless of where they live, what their beliefs are—it doesn't matter. Athletics can bring folks together." That belief ultimately extends beyond stadiums, arenas, and scoreboards.
"I firmly believe that Boulder's success is our success and our success is Boulder's," Lovo says. "If we can have that sort of relationship where we believe that, and we work hard—as a community, an institution, and a department—to bridge that gap and bring it together. I think there isn't a limit to what we can achieve."
For a leader who began his career learning the value of humility, the path to leading one of college athletics' most recognizable programs has come full circle. Now, Fernando Lovo hopes to build something lasting at Colorado—not just successful teams, but a culture that reflects the pride, connection, and spirit that have long made Boulder and CU inseparable.
Learn more about CU Athletics at CUBuffs.com.