College Sports Information Directors of America

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.”
 

“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.
 

“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.”

Outlaw was a 2003 inductee into the University of West Alabama Athletics Hall of Fame and in 2014 was a charter inductee into the Gulf South Conference Hall of Fame. His latest honor came in 2025 when he  was inducted into the Society of Golden Key, which is the highest award presented by the University of West Alabama. 

He served on the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Committee (1995-99). While serving on the NCAA Division II Management Council (2003-06), he also served on the NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee and the Division II Convention Planning Project Team. Outlaw is a past member of the UWA President’s Council and still chairs the school’s Hall of Fame committee. He is an avid golfer and has served two three-year terms as president of the Livingston Country Club.

For many University of West Alabama sports fans, the name Dee Outlaw is synonymous with Tiger Athletics. His dedication to the sports information profession led to his current role as the official historian of the UWA athletics program. Simply put, Dee Outlaw has dedicated his career and his life to the University of West Alabama and the Gulf South Conference.

Dee is happily married to his wife, Joni, and they have two daughters, Shawn Hodge and Jess Taylor. A native of Jackson, Ala., Outlaw is also proud to count 15 family members among the University of West Alabama’s alumni.  
 

Brett Gilliland, University of West Alabama Director Athletics: “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. 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.”

Kent Partridge, former University of West Alabama Sports Information Director and Director of Athletics: “I was fortunate enough to learn this trade from some great people, but none greater than my very first mentor, Dee Outlaw. 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. 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.” 

David Housel, former Auburn University Sports Information Director and Director of Athletics: “Dee Outlaw is a rock — strong, steady, dependable — and you can take his word and perspective to the bank. 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.”