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CSC Women to Watch Feature Archive
This is part of our 2025-26 CSC Women to Watch series, a series which spotlights a variety of female members in our association. CSC Women is a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Member Resource Community, dedicated to serving the women in the athletics communications and creative field. CSC Women aims to encourage, empower and educate, while providing a positive and united presence for women in our field, both veterans and newcomers, and serving as their collective voice.
CSC Women to Watch
Gail Dent
NCAA Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
by Colby Shannon, CSC Intern
CSC's Women to Watch Series continues in 2026 with February's Woman to Watch,
Gail Dent! An NCAA mover-and-shaker since 2001, Dent got her bachelor's degree at Eastern Kentucky University in public relations and her master's in sports administration from the University of Kentucky, where she also spent several years in athletic communications. With decades of experience in collegiate athletics communications, Dent has been a key fixture in the NCAA Communications division.
Dent's areas of involvement over the years with NCAA Communications has touched media relations, strategic initiatives, inclusive work, corporate initiatives, health and safety, championships work, programming, mentoring/supervision of interns, and general public relations activities. In a
2022 interview with PRSA Dent gave credit to the NCAA in the work it does for student-athletes, coaches and its members of all backgrounds. She also stated the NCAA continues to have key conversations that help its membership see all perspectives that impact sports and higher education.
Before the NCAA, Dent was a staff member with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. She worked with national and international media, national governing bodies, athletes and their agents and PR agencies, and with internal groups that included sports medicine and science, community relations, career development, youth programming, and USOPC training center staff. She made trips to the White House, attended the Winter and Summer Olympic Games with Team USA, and was instrumental with World University Games leadership and preparation. Dent is also an adjunct professor at the University of Indianapolis where she has helped teach the next generation of sports leaders. She is also a member of the University of Indianapolis' sports management leadership board.
A Louisville native, Dent shared that her love of sports was inspired from her relationship with her father who was an avid NFL fan and her mother, who was also a fan of all sports. As Dent grew older, she became more involved in local and regional sports and found herself working for the University of Kentucky, where she worked with a number of sports, including football, basketball, track & field, cross country and swimming and diving. She was also a media coordinator and assistant media coordinator for NCAA first, second and regional men's basketball rounds and SEC track meets while at UK. After numerous years in the industry, Dent has become a pillar of excellence among female professionals, people of color, and others in sports communications. She is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America's Entertainment and Sports executive board.
Learn more about Dent's impact on the NCAA and how she's adapted to an industry that has undergone numerous changes throughout her tenure in our interview below.
Gail Dent on the White House lawn following a USOPC White House visit with Team USA during her time with the USOPC in 1998 and 1999.
What has been a highlight of your career in sports communications?
GD: One of the highlights of my career is seeing former interns and students/volunteers that I have mentored, supervised, or worked with become leaders in the sports industry. I have worked top tier events, but seeing others rise to levels of excellence and professionalism in the industry is something that I consider a highlight.
How has your involvement with CSC influenced your work with the NCAA?
GD: CSC was one of the first professional organizations I joined coming into the sports industry years ago so it has provided support, resources and various levels of professional development throughout the years. I continue to connect with CSC staff and members today on a variety of initiatives. CSC has evolved into a major force in the industry for everyone. I can remember being on a panel years ago at a CSC conference and a younger woman of color came up to me and said seeing me gave her an added sense of belonging, as she didn't always see people who looked like her at conventions or in sports. You know you are making more of an impact, not just in sports communications, but in presence when you hear that.
Dent admiring championship ring sets at the NACDA/CSC trade show reception.
Is there a female sports professional you admire, or who has inspired you? What do you admire most about them?
GD: I wouldn't say there was one in particular but I'll share some who standout. Serena Williams is one I admire because she was so dominant on the tennis court and she then transitioned so nicely into being a top business and family woman. Dawn Staley is no nonsense. She speaks her mind in an industry that doesn't always embrace her voice. She speaks truth and sense, and some people have a hard time with that, along with her continued and phenomenal success. I moderated a panel several years ago that included Kim Ng and she is definitely a trailblazer of success. Billie Jean King is a legend and champion of all people and I really respect that.
What advice would you give to younger female professionals who are new to the industry or looking to enter college sports?
First, I would encourage them to GET INVOLVED. So many people today wait until someone comes to them — wrong. The people in roles with increased responsibility are too busy to keep track of connections with younger professionals. Women may need to be a little more assertive due to the nature of the industry, too. Volunteer, seek internships, get experience, research online about how people got to where they are today and if they are doing something you want to do… they do interviews and features like CSC profiles where they share 'little gems' that might be useful. You don't always have to KNOW someone personally or professionally to learn. I would say put yourself in situations to get noticed. One of my key terms is to be 'visible and vocal.' If people don't see you or hear your voice, you may go unnoticed. Ask questions in meetings, volunteer for key roles, join professional associations that might allow you opportunities to network and engage with people. I'd also say get your education. You need to be as competitive professionally as the next person, maybe more. You may get a great opportunity, but there are always folks coming along who are watching you for one reason or another. Stay relevant, engaged, and educated as it offers you a way 'in' and potential movement along your career. Sports is a great industry because it offers so many levels of engagement.
Dent (top right) interacting with her USOPC colleagues at the training center in Colorado Springs before one of their youth programs in 2000.
How have you adapted to major institutional changes in the NCAA and what role do you play in the evolution of college sports?
GD: One of the first things you have to realize in college sports and its evolution is that things will CHANGE. In order to combat change, you have to be nimble. Change is a word that brings fear in some people, but if you embrace it and know it will/may occur, you are a little more prepared when it does happen. We always have to look down the road and around the corner in college sports, especially in PR. It's almost like being a forecaster. Having different scenarios and talking points ready is a must. It gets you one step closer in issues management preparation too. And now, we see so many new sports are popping up in athletics — another example of this ever-changing industry.
How did your past employment with the University of Kentucky and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic committee set you up for success in your position at the NCAA?
GD: There were similarities in the issues I faced, and then there were things that happened that made me think differently. At UK and USOPC, I had the benefit of working with some professionals who national/international media held in high respect. I watched that and learned some of their patterns. They not only had the education, but the work experience, the strategic minds, and they were tested. That was priceless. One of the things I always remember is one of my former supervisors told me that if I had not had the national experiences at UK, that I would not have gotten the USOPC job. That told me that what I had been doing was right, and years of education and hard work were not in vain.
Dent posing for a picture with her mentor Leroy T. Walker, a former USOPC President, Olympic track coach, and chancellor of North Carolina Central University.
What values do you take with you from your family upbringing into the realm of sports communications?
GD: The art of listening. One of the things I remember my dad telling me was if you listen to someone long enough, they will tell you everything you need to know about them. That was so telling and true. I think listening is one of the hidden professional traits because we are always thinking about what we will say next versus simply listening to what people are saying, experiencing and feeling.
Dent at an Indianapolis museum with two NCAA interns before a community event with local youth.
Quick Hitters with Gail:
Your dream job as a kid: To be a veterinarian.
If you could travel back in time and relive one moment from your life, what would it be and why? My summers in Louisville as a child. I loved that time and the fall festivals. It was such a nice, quiet, non-issue type of life. Back then, you could just be a kid without all of the distractions we see today.
Favorite family traditions: Christmas treats… baking, making my grandmother's egg nog recipe (with Kentucky bourbon), Kentucky Derby time, and family and friend gatherings.
Favorite professional sports team: Ah, so many. I'm a quiet Dallas Cowboys fan and I root for local teams in Indy when they are in playoff runs.
Favorite holiday: Christmas.
What is your go-to takeout spot? PF Chang's or Cheddar's.
Favorite winter activity: Staying indoors or shopping. I'm more of a summer person, thinking of the beach and warm temperatures often.
Dent teaching a class at the University of Indianapolis, where she currently serves as an adjunct professor. The topic "Telling Your Story" is one of her favorites to teach.