John Weber, the new interim director of Colorado State Athletics, was appointed to the position Feb. 19 after it was announced that Joe Parker, the former athletic director, is stepping down. Parker will be a special advisor to CSU President Amy Parsons.

Formerly the president and CEO of Long Range Systems, Weber started in the college athletics sphere in July 2022 as the executive director of The Green & Gold Guard — CSU’s name, image and likeness collective.

After a 2021 NCAA decision allowed athletes to be compensated from NIL activities, NIL collectives were put into practice as a way for student-athletes to make money directly connected to athletics because universities could not directly compensate athletes. The Green & Gold Guard, which is classified as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, works explicitly on a donation model from alumni of CSU and other interested parties, using their money to donate to charitable organizations and athletes directly.

“With 90% of donated funds deployed to fulfill the mission of bettering our communities, we are an efficiently run organization,” The Green & Gold Guard website reads. “In addition, we proudly donate a portion of our proceeds to our charitable partners.”

The charitable organizations The Green & Gold Guard has listed on their website, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, are accompanied by corporate partners such as FirstBank and X Golf Fort Collins.

“John has built The Green & Gold Guard from scratch, and as part of that incredible effort, he has earned the respect and trust of our coaches, student-athletes and supporters.” –Amy Parsons, CSU president

In turn, other funds donated go directly to charitable partners, not accounting for the money athletes can make through the Opendorse program, a second way of using the NIL agreement with the NCAA.

“There are a lot of great things that can happen in a well-run NIL program, and it starts with getting our student-athletes actively involved in supporting our community,” Weber said in a CSU SOURCE article. “Helping our student-athletes and positively impacting our community is a win-win for everyone.”

Weber graduated from CSU in 1991 with a degree in business administration. Weber was also a student-athlete for CSU, competing in track and field as a first-year student. Since graduating, he went through the tech sector and became a sponsor for the John and Julie Weber Business and Club Sport Scholarship, which gives funds to out-of-state business majors who play club sports.

“John has built The Green & Gold Guard from scratch, and as part of that incredible effort, he has earned the respect and trust of our coaches, student-athletes and supporters,” Parsons said in a CSU SOURCE article. “Not only is he on the sidelines of nearly every game, but John is engaged on the national level with the fast-changing intricacies of NIL and seeking new and innovative ways to support all of CSU’s student-athletes and programs. I am confident in John’s capacity to take on this interim role.”

He has since stepped down from his role as executive director for The Green & Gold Guard.

In the CSU SOURCE article announcing the change, it was reported that Parker would work closely with Weber in order to ensure a smooth transition.

“Joe has built a strong foundation for CSU Athletics, and I’m humbled by the trust and confidence President Parsons has placed in me to lead the department during such a critical time,” Weber said in the CSU SOURCE article. “To our student-athletes and coaches — I will work tirelessly to make sure you have the support and resources needed to compete at the highest levels and to succeed academically. To our amazing alumni and fans — I will work every day to help CSU further build competitive and nationally prominent athletics programs.”

Reach Liv Sewell at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @Liv_sewell22.