NEWS
By
Zack Higbee
ounews@ou.edu
Date
NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma today named Roger Denny as its 12th Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs and Director of Athletics, a key appointment at a defining moment in college sports. Denny, a successful corporate attorney with deep legal background and athletics leadership experience at the University of Illinois, will lead OU Athletics to expand opportunities for student-athletes while building on OU’s tradition of championship excellence in a new era for one of college athletics’ most storied programs.
Randall Stephenson, former CEO of AT&T who has led large-scale organizations through disruptive change across business, media, and sports and who has served as Chair and Special Advisor to the President for OU Athletics since 2024, will remain in that position.
“College athletics is undergoing profound disruption that requires us to think well beyond conventional structures and roles,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “In Roger we have the next natural leader who understands both the complexity of the moment and the opportunities it presents. It is clear Roger will advance the bold vision needed for OU to continue leading in a highly dynamic environment.
“We have already seen the transformational difference Randall has made to OU Athletics with the success of football this past season,” Harroz added. “His continued engagement will ensure a smooth leadership transition to a new era of Sooner athletics.”
“I want to thank the OU Board of Regents, President Harroz, and the search committee for their confidence and the thoughtful process that brought us together,” Denny said. “Oklahoma has a proud tradition in college athletics, and I am honored to join a university that competes with purpose and pride. My focus will be on putting student-athletes first in everything we do, providing them the resources and support to excel in competition and in life. I look forward to working with Randall, our coaches, staff, and the OU community to build on this legacy while winning national championships now and in the years ahead.”
Denny spent nearly 15 years practicing law, focusing on executive compensation, tax, corporate finance, and licensing. Before joining Illinois, he was a partner at SpencerFane LLP in St. Louis. His prior legal experience includes the representation of college athletics departments and sports businesses in a wide variety of critical and complex transactions, including executive compensation and collective bargaining matters. Denny’s legal experience also provides a foundation for leading major athletics programs, overseeing coaching contracts, managing complex operations, and identifying opportunities that expand student-athlete success in a disrupted college athletics landscape.
Denny comes most recently from the University of Illinois, where he serves as Deputy Director of Athletics and oversees business strategy and department operations. Since arriving in Champaign in 2021, he has contributed to one of the most dramatic turnaround stories in college athletics. Denny is the sport administrator for the football program, led by head coach Bret Bielema, which has won 19 games the last two seasons. Illinois’ four-year growth in season ticket sales, student season tickets, and average attendance is among the best in the country. In addition, the Illinois men’s basketball program has won three Big Ten titles in the last five years, and the women’s basketball program has undergone a national resurgence with regular appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Denny oversees all athletics’ business operations at Illinois, including a budget that approaches $200 million, and he has played a central role in Illinois’ name-image-likeness strategy, expanding opportunities for Illinois student-athletes. He has become increasingly involved in fundraising and played a pivotal role in securing a $100 million gift announced in fall 2025, the largest in Illinois history. He leads Illinois’ facilities planning, highlighted by extensive upgrades to Gies Memorial Stadium, and serves as the athletic program’s primary representative in all head coach negotiations.
Denny earned a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University, a law degree from St. Louis University, and an LLM in tax from Washington University in St. Louis.
During his time as Special Advisor to the President for OU Athletics, Stephenson has been instrumental in developing a new structure for college football. He has overseen long-term budget planning for the Athletics Department, restructured student-athlete training and health, and advised the President and Board of Regents on how to adapt to industry disruption.
“Few industries have undergone as rapid and radical disruption as college athletics, and I am grateful for the bold actions that the Board of Regents and President Harroz have supported in our football operations,” said Stephenson. “Roger is the ideal candidate to lead Sooner Athletics with his deep legal background serving both the professional and college sports industries. He is a proven operator with a competitive intensity and drive to win. His passion for college athletics, student-athletes, coaches, and staff is the right recipe to position OU for national championships.”
"On behalf of Sooner Football, we are excited about the appointment of Roger Denny as the new leader of OU Athletics. We trust the process and vision that led President Harroz, Randall Stephenson, and the Board of Regents to this exciting hire. The college football landscape is constantly evolving and Roger is the type of adaptive innovator that will allow our program to maintain the expected level of excellence.”
Jim Nagy
OU General Manager for Football
"Roger's eclectic experience both inside and outside of collegiate athletics gives him a unique foundation from which to lead our athletics department. He's clearly a strategic thinker, an astute problem solver and a skilled manager of change. But it is his conviction about the purpose and value of athletics in higher education that left an indelible mark. He cares deeply about kids and coaches and is energized by the opportunity to play a key role in building and championing a system that serves multiple stakeholders while prioritizing student-athlete growth and well-being."
Sherri Coale
Former OU Head Women's Basketball Coach
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
The University of Oklahoma today named Roger Denny as its 12th Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs and Director of Athletics, a key appointment at a defining moment in college sports. Denny, a successful corporate attorney with deep legal background and athletics leadership experience at the University of Illinois, will lead OU Athletics to expand opportunities for student-athletes while building on OU’s tradition of championship excellence in a new era for one of college athletics’ most storied programs.
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"On behalf of Sooner Football, we are excited about the appointment of Roger Denny as the new leader of OU Athletics. We trust the process and vision that led President Harroz, Randall Stephenson, and the Board of Regents to this exciting hire. The college football landscape is constantly evolving and Roger is the type of adaptive innovator that will allow our program to maintain the expected level of excellence.”
