Colorado state government allows athletics contract exemption

John Hickenlooper’s actions today as governor led to a huge Wyn-coup for the Buffs. Forced pun aside, the governor of Colorado just signed a bill into law that allows the athletic departments of state universities, namely CSU and CU-Boulder, an exemption from the multi-year contract limits present in state law.

This may seem like a tangential problem or a technicality, but this is a huge deal for the Buffs. As it stands currently, only D.J. Eliot, Mike MacIntyre, Tad Boyle, J.R. Payne, and Jesse Mahoney hold multi-year contracts from CU. That means every other coach on staff in every other program either renews or cancels his or her contract every year. This can be a headache, wasting time and resources, and also leads to less job security. Whether real or perceived, the coaches can feel more precarious about their staying power. Now, CU is no longer hamstrung with this law in contact negotiations or extensions. This makes it easier for the Buffs to reel in and retain top talent, and makes the internal dealings of the AD even easier.

Way to go, Governor!