COLORADO ATHLETICS UPDATE
Dear Gregory J,
We have always stood Shoulder to Shoulder through whatever challenges we have faced. I know this pandemic has had an impact on each of you and your loved ones, and I hope that you and your family are safe and healthy right now.
As you are now aware, the Pac-12 Conference, as well as some of our peer conferences, has made the difficult decision to postpone fall sports. That decision specifically impacts the Colorado cross country, football, soccer and volleyball programs. We understand how difficult this news is to hear for our fans, donors and alumni, and we’re likewise hurting for our student-athletes who were eager to compete this fall. This decision was not made easily, but in light of current virus trends and the uncertainty around potential long-term health impacts of COVID-19, it was determined that this is the best course of action for the health and safety of our student-athletes.
The University of Colorado Athletic Department has always and will always place the health and safety of our student-athletes as our top priority. This unprecedented time in our history is no exception. Your support has been the key to our ability to provide our coaches, staff and student-athletes with the resources necessary to provide a world-class experience for the Buffs.
We are committed to continuing to provide our student-athletes with academic support, access to medical care, comprehensive mental health resources, sport performance and nutritional support, as well as access to leadership and career development programming. These areas are critical for maintaining this world-class experience we always strive to provide. We cannot let this time derail all of the incredible work and progress that we have been able to achieve in these areas thanks to your support.
However, our revenue losses will be significant. We have taken many steps to minimize our losses by implementing salary reductions across the department for this fiscal year, eliminating almost 100% of travel, and reducing operational budgets. These steps have helped us stave off some difficult choices, but unfortunately this latest decision will impact our staff, and therefore our student-athlete experience, more severely than what we have already experienced. Our financial challenges will be immense, and we will work hard to mitigate those challenges.
Thank you for your continued support of our student-athletes. We will continue to communicate on our efforts to conduct winter and spring competitions and any potential spring seasons for our fall sports. We look forward to a time when we can be together again at the foot of the Flatirons.
Respectfully,
Rick George
