Completed Event: Softball versus Alabama State on February 27, 2026 , Win , 23, to, 3 , (5 inn.)
Final
Softball
23
vs Alabama State
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Staff Directory
Roger Denny
- Title:
- Vice President and Director of Athletics
A key appointment at a defining moment in college sports, Roger Denny was announced as the University of Oklahoma’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs and Director of Athletics on Jan. 23, 2026. He began his term Feb. 15, 2026.
Oklahoma's 12th athletics director, Denny was a successful corporate attorney for nearly 15 years before transitioning to college sports administration. He came to OU from the University of Illinois, where he was hired as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director, and later earned the title of Deputy Director of Athletics. From the time he arrived in Champaign-Urbana in 2021, he oversaw business strategy and department operations and was a key player in one of the most dramatic turnaround stories in college athletics.
At Illinois, Denny served as sport administrator for football, which set a two-year program record by winning 19 games over the 2024 and '25 seasons. The school's four-year growth in season ticket sales, student season tickets and average attendance over his term was among the best in the country. The Fighting Illini men's basketball program was also highly successful during Denny's U of I tenure, winning a regular season Big Ten championship and two conference tournament titles, and the women's basketball program experienced a national resurgence by averaging over 20 wins from the 2022-23 through 2024-25 seasons (it averaged nine victories the previous seven years) and making two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Denny oversaw all athletics business operations at Illinois, including a budget that approached $200 million, and played a central role in the department's name-image-likeness strategy, which expanded opportunities for U of I student-athletes. He became increasingly involved in fundraising and was a key member of the team that secured a $100 million gift announced in fall 2025, the largest in school history. He also led Illinois' facilities planning, highlighted by extensive upgrades to Gies Memorial Stadium, and served as the athletics department's primary representative in all head coach contract negotiations.
Also in his role as Chief Operating Officer, Denny supervised the department’s internal operations. Additional areas of oversight included human resources, data and business intelligence and sports technology. He also oversaw revenue operations roles, including corporate sponsorships and licensing, as well as public facilities, housing, parking and athletics camps and clinics.
A tax lawyer by training, Denny’s expansive law practice included representation of clients in labor and employment negotiations, executive compensation structuring, corporate finance matters, mergers and acquisitions and licensing transactions. Immediately before joining the Illini, he was a partner at Spencer Fane LLP in St. Louis. His legal experience includes the representation of college athletics departments and sports businesses in a wide variety of complex transactions. Additionally, in collective bargaining matters, he performed management-side work with non-sports clients and talent-side work with athletes and entertainers.
Denny earned a bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University, a law degree from St. Louis University and an LLM in tax law from Washington University in St. Louis.
A North Carolina native who moved to Missouri as a youth, Denny and his wife, Alecia, have twin sons, Trey and Michael.
Oklahoma's 12th athletics director, Denny was a successful corporate attorney for nearly 15 years before transitioning to college sports administration. He came to OU from the University of Illinois, where he was hired as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director, and later earned the title of Deputy Director of Athletics. From the time he arrived in Champaign-Urbana in 2021, he oversaw business strategy and department operations and was a key player in one of the most dramatic turnaround stories in college athletics.
At Illinois, Denny served as sport administrator for football, which set a two-year program record by winning 19 games over the 2024 and '25 seasons. The school's four-year growth in season ticket sales, student season tickets and average attendance over his term was among the best in the country. The Fighting Illini men's basketball program was also highly successful during Denny's U of I tenure, winning a regular season Big Ten championship and two conference tournament titles, and the women's basketball program experienced a national resurgence by averaging over 20 wins from the 2022-23 through 2024-25 seasons (it averaged nine victories the previous seven years) and making two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Denny oversaw all athletics business operations at Illinois, including a budget that approached $200 million, and played a central role in the department's name-image-likeness strategy, which expanded opportunities for U of I student-athletes. He became increasingly involved in fundraising and was a key member of the team that secured a $100 million gift announced in fall 2025, the largest in school history. He also led Illinois' facilities planning, highlighted by extensive upgrades to Gies Memorial Stadium, and served as the athletics department's primary representative in all head coach contract negotiations.
Also in his role as Chief Operating Officer, Denny supervised the department’s internal operations. Additional areas of oversight included human resources, data and business intelligence and sports technology. He also oversaw revenue operations roles, including corporate sponsorships and licensing, as well as public facilities, housing, parking and athletics camps and clinics.
A tax lawyer by training, Denny’s expansive law practice included representation of clients in labor and employment negotiations, executive compensation structuring, corporate finance matters, mergers and acquisitions and licensing transactions. Immediately before joining the Illini, he was a partner at Spencer Fane LLP in St. Louis. His legal experience includes the representation of college athletics departments and sports businesses in a wide variety of complex transactions. Additionally, in collective bargaining matters, he performed management-side work with non-sports clients and talent-side work with athletes and entertainers.
Denny earned a bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University, a law degree from St. Louis University and an LLM in tax law from Washington University in St. Louis.
A North Carolina native who moved to Missouri as a youth, Denny and his wife, Alecia, have twin sons, Trey and Michael.
BB Highlights: OU 11, Gonzaga 1
Saturday, February 28
K.J. Kindler, Mackenzie Estep, and Faith Torrez Postmeet vs Auburn
Friday, February 27
SB Highlights: OU 23, Alabama State 3
Friday, February 27
BB Highlights: OU 14, Gonzaga 4
Friday, February 27
