OU's New AD Roger Denny Prioritizes NCAA v. House Settlement

Denny says navigating the new revenue-sharing rules with student-athletes is his top agenda item.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 12:15pm

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Roger Denny was recently named the new athletic director at the University of Oklahoma. In his first comments since taking the job, Denny said his top priority is figuring out the implications of the NCAA v. House Settlement, which allows schools to share revenue directly with student-athletes. Denny acknowledged the settlement, combined with NIL and the transfer portal, has drastically changed the recruiting and roster-building process for college programs.

Why it matters

The NCAA v. House Settlement is a landmark ruling that will have far-reaching impacts on college sports. As one of the most prominent athletic departments in the country, how OU navigates these new rules will be closely watched by the industry. Denny's focus on understanding the settlement and positioning OU to be aggressive in supporting its programs and student-athletes is critical as the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve.

The details

Denny said the annual cap for revenue sharing with student-athletes for the 2025-26 academic year is $20.5 million, with the cap increasing annually over the next decade. However, programs are still sorting through what the settlement actually means in practice, as the infrastructure continues to be built. Denny also pointed to NIL and the transfer portal as factors that have drastically changed the recruiting and roster-building process for college programs.

  • The NCAA v. House Settlement was approved last year.
  • The annual revenue sharing cap for the 2025-26 academic year is $20.5 million.

The players

Roger Denny

The new athletic director at the University of Oklahoma, who was previously at the University of Illinois.

Joseph Harroz Jr.

The president of the University of Oklahoma, who has talked about building "dynasties" at the school.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's no secret, we've got to figure what the House settlement actually means. And we've got to understand what it means to the industry and what it means at Oklahoma. So understanding how we're going to navigate this and how we're going to pick our spots, in moments like we're in right now, where it's not clear how we can be as aggressive as possible and get the resources to our programs and go out and build those dynasties that (OU president Joseph Harroz Jr.) has talked about. That's really the thing we're going to be focused on right now.”

— Roger Denny, Athletic Director, University of Oklahoma

What’s next

Denny and the OU athletic department will continue to analyze the implications of the NCAA v. House Settlement and determine the best way to implement the new revenue-sharing rules with student-athletes.

The takeaway

The NCAA v. House Settlement represents a seismic shift in college sports, and how OU navigates these new rules under Denny's leadership will be closely watched. Denny's focus on understanding the settlement and positioning OU to be aggressive in supporting its programs and student-athletes is critical as the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve.