It’s a rumor that won’t leave the dugout.
According to a report from BuffsBlog, Colorado Athletic Director Rick George recently met with Red Sox legend Dustin Pedroia to discuss reviving CU’s long-defunct baseball program.
Yes, 2008 AL MVP and four-time Gold Glover who spent his entire career laying out on the dirt in Boston.
Now, could he be lacing up in black and gold — as the head coach?
As of now, this story is unconfirmed beyond BuffsBlog's scoop. We can’t find any other outlet reporting on this, and apparently George himself has publicly denied it.
“Not adding any sports at this time,” he told the outlet when asked directly.
However, that kind of denial doesn’t always mean the conversation didn’t happen.
Here at GloryColorado, we’re watching it closely.
A Storyline That Won’t Stay Buried
CU baseball hasn’t been around since 1980, when the program was cut along with six others due to budget constraints and Title IX regulations. That was 45 years ago. Since then, Colorado and Iowa State have been the only two Big 12 schools without a baseball team.
And yet… the game keeps knocking.
Last week at Big 12 Media Days, George acknowledged the door might not be shut. In response to a fan asking if there’s been movement on baseball and softball, he didn’t give a flat-out no. Instead, he named the price:
“When we get a $10M gift, we will have some movement. Until then, no movement.”
That’s leaving the door cracked — and putting a dollar sign on the situation.
Pedroia? Really?
On the surface, Dustin Pedroia seems like an out-of-left-field choice (pun intended). He’s a Boston lifer, known more for the East Coast than Rocky Mountains. But look closer, and it makes some sense.
Pedroia retired in 2021. He’s stayed relatively quiet since, raising a family and occasionally showing up at Fenway. But he’s hinted at coaching.
And CU — with a hungry fan base — could be the kind of place where he builds something from scratch.
And let’s not forget: Rick George spent three years with the Texas Rangers. He’s a baseball guy at heart. And of course, our football coach, who played nine seasons in the MLB, also said he would bring back baseball when he got hired in December '22.
Add in the idea that a softball program would likely be added alongside baseball to meet Title IX standards, and you’ve got the ingredients for something massive.
A Region Starved for Baseball
Colorado high school baseball is booming. Just look at the 2024 MLB Draft — 10 players with CHSAA ties were selected, including two from Mountain Vista, and Coronado’s Trey Gregory-Alford became the highest pick in his school’s history.
The local pipeline is legit. So why are we letting Northern Colorado and out-of-state programs reap the benefits?
CU is the closest major university to Coors Field. We should be owning this state.
There Is Hope
We don’t want to jump the gun. There’s been no press release or official meetings on the books. George says it’s not happening—and until there’s a check for $10 million on his desk, maybe it isn’t.
But BuffsBlog dropped a bombshell. If they’re right, and Pedroia is even entertaining the idea, that’s enough to keep this conversation alive.
The Big 12 is a great baseball conference. We’re also in a city that loves baseball during the summer (even if the Rockies are the worst team of all-time). We’ve got leadership with baseball in their blood, and we’ve got players in this state dreaming of staying home to play ball in Boulder.
If someone steps up with the funding, and we find a big-name coach, this would be huge for a program waiting to be reborn.
And hey, if Pedroia’s the guy to do it—that’s just icing on the cake.
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