College Sports Information Directors of America

Related Content

• 2026 Special Awards Announcements and Features
• #CSCUnite26 Convention Home
• CSC Hall of Fame
• Past Lifetime Achievement Award recipients

Dee Outlaw — University of West Alabama Athletic Director, Compliance Director and Sports Information Director (retired)

by Langston Rogers, retired University of Mississippi & Delta State University/ former CSC President/ CSC Special Awards Committee

I am humbled and honored to be elected to CSC/CoSIDA Hall of Fame. It is so rewarding to be on the same list of longtime colleagues like Langston Rogers, Jeff Hodges, Larry Hymel, David Housel and many more. This honor covers many Gulf South Conference SIDs as well as all the UWA coaches, staff and student athletes (my Tigers) I had the pleasure to work with, both as SID and Athletic Director.— Dee Outlaw, CSC Hall of Fame Class of 2026

In 2009, the College Sports Communicators Board of Directors established a Veterans Committee to nominate candidates for the CSC Hall of Fame. With the late CSC legend and past president Bill Little of Texas serving as the chair of the committee, its purpose was “to recognize those former sports information professionals of distinction from the past whose professional and personal deeds and accomplishments helped make possible the stature of the athletics communications profession today.”

When the six-member 2026 CSC Hall of Fame class was announced in January, it included an outstanding retired veteran from long ago in the person of Dee Outlaw of the University of West Alabama. This year’s Hall of Fame class highlights the annual CSC Special Awards, and they will be honored during the CSC’s 69th annual convention, scheduled for June 7-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.

Each of the six 2026 Hall of Fame inductees — Sam Atkinson (Gallaudet), Kelly Bird (Linfield), Jerry Emig (Ohio State), Dee Outlaw (West Alabama), Kevin Trainor (Arkansas), and Steve White (Western Carolina) — will join their predecessors on the CSC Hall of Fame plaques that are on permanent display at the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis, Ind.

Outlaw, who spent his entire professional career (42 years) working for the University of West Alabama (UWA) athletics department, retired on July 1, 2006. Although retired, he continued to work part-time as the compliance director from 2006-2016.

“Dee Outlaw’s induction into the CSC Hall of Fame is a richly deserved honor and a testament to a career defined by service, integrity, and impact,” said UWA Director of Athletics Brett Gilliland. “Dee’s tenure at the University of West Alabama was truly storied. Over the course of his time here, he helped support tens of thousands of Tiger student-athletes, leaving a true legacy. Even today, Dee continues to find meaningful ways to support Tiger Athletics, and we are incredibly grateful for the lasting difference he has made to our institution and our student-athletes.”

Outlaw (far right) with three West Alabama Hall of Famers: Kendrick Office (Football), Brad Montgomery (athletic trainer) and Valisha Fincher (Softball).

“I am humbled and honored to be elected to the CSC Hall of Fame, ” said Outlaw.  “It is so rewarding to be on the same list of longtime colleagues like Jeff Hodges, Langston Rogers, Larry Hymel, David Housel and many more. This honor covers many Gulf South Conference SIDs as well as all the University of West Alabama coaches, staff, and student-athletes (my Tigers) I had the pleasure to work with, both as SID and athletics director.”

Outlaw began his career at West Alabama as a student assistant in the office of sports information, serving two years (1972-73) in that capacity before taking on the role of SID for two years as a student. He became the school’s first full-time sports information director in 1975.

During his 21-year tenure as sports information director, Outlaw was one of the most well-known NCAA Division II SIDs in the country (when West Alabama was known as Livingston University), publicizing an Olympic athlete, more than 40 All-Americans and more than 200 All-Gulf South Conference honorees. He also was heavily involved with CoSIDA (now CSC), attending workshops and assisting for a number of years in securing judges for publications awards.

After serving those 21 years as the school’s SID, Outlaw then served a two-year stint as assistant athletics director before taking over as West Alabama’s first full-time athletics director in 1994. Outlaw served as athletics director until 2006 when he was named athletics director emeritus.

As athletics director, he was influential in the development of the UWA softball complex and helped spearhead the addition of men’s and women’s intercollegiate rodeo and cross country, as well as the reintroduction of men’s and women’s tennis. He also played a big role in UWA getting new lights for Tiger Stadium. West Alabama played home football under the lights in 2005 for the first time since 1999.

“I was fortunate enough to learn this trade from some great people, but none greater than my very first mentor, Dee Outlaw,” said Kent Partridge, who, like Outlaw, also served West Alabama as its sports information director before taking on the role of athletics director. “There are many sports communicators who do this job well, but none who do it with the expertise, knowledge, loyalty and compassion that is Dee.

Tom Ensey (SID Troy) and Dee Outlaw presenting a going away present to CSC Hall of Famer and Past President Langston Rogers (Delta State SID) at the Gulf South Conference Baseball Tournament after Langston announced he was going to Ole Miss.

“Dee Outlaw taught me this job is truly about relationships and patience, and I was fortunate to learn from both Dee and David Housel. Dee was tops at building relationships and having them in place before needed in crisis management. His expertise at teaching the basics only adds to the legend.  In my 28 years as a collegiate communicator and seven more with the National Basketball Association, what I learned and put into practice from Dee Outlaw is what kept my head above water through times when the tide got high and the undertow swift.”

“Dee Outlaw is a rock – strong, steady, dependable – and you can take his word and perspective to the bank,” said David Housel, who served as Auburn’s sports information director and later as its athletics director. “Dee’s been around a long time and you can count on his words of wisdom. He’s seen it all and has learned from it all. Dee Outlaw is one of the most respected men on the Alabama sports scene and in this state. That’s saying a lot. I’m honored to call him my friend.”

Calendar

Important Dates