Val Ackerman, who led Big East revival, to retire

Val Ackerman, the commissioner of the Big East conference, is set to step down from her role this summer, as announced by the league on Monday.

Ms. Ackerman has held leadership of the conference for the past thirteen years, during which time both men’s and women’s basketball programs collectively secured eight national championships under her guidance. She also guided the Big East through significant changes during a period of conference realignment.

“It has been a truly remarkable privilege for me to serve as the Commissioner for one of college sports’ most esteemed and historically rich organizations,” Ackerman stated. “I wish to express my gratitude to our Presidents for entrusting me with this unique leadership opportunity and for backing the necessary investments to uphold the Big East’s standing and meet the high competitive and academic expectations of our member institutions.

“With our long-term business agreements firmly established and knowing that we have robust, dedicated leadership across our campuses, I am convinced that the future of the conference, and specifically Big East basketball, is exceptionally promising, and I believe the moment is right for me to pass on the leadership.”

Ackerman, whose previous roles included founding president of the WNBA, president of USA Basketball, and the U.S. representative for both men’s and women’s basketball on FIBA’s central board, assumed her position as Big East commissioner in the summer of 2013. At that juncture, the conference was experiencing the departure of several key programs to other leagues during a peak period of realignment. Syracuse, Pitt, Notre Dame, and Louisville moved to the ACC; Rutgers joined the Big Ten; West Virginia went to the Big 12; and UConn, Cincinnati, and South Florida chose the AAC.

The remaining seven institutions—DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Villanova—reconstituted as the new Big East, with Butler, Creighton, and Xavier joining to form a ten-team league in March 2013. Ackerman subsequently led the negotiations for UConn’s return in the summer of 2020. Since rejoining the Big East, the Huskies have earned a combined three national championships across their men’s and women’s basketball teams.

“Speaking on behalf of all the Big East Presidents, we announce Commissioner Val Ackerman’s departure with a measure of regret and profound appreciation,” commented Reverend Brian J. Shanley, President of St. John’s and chair of the Big East board of directors. “When we re-established the Big East in 2013 as a conference primarily focused on basketball, our initial objective was to find a commissioner capable of providing the strategic insight needed to position us as a basketball counterpart to the powerful football conferences and to compete with the nation’s elite. We found that forward-thinking leader in Val Ackerman. Val has leveraged our collaborations with FOX Sports and Madison Square Garden to cultivate a platform that has yielded five basketball national titles (four men’s and one women’s) over the last decade, and she has laid a solid groundwork for continued prosperity. She leaves a significant void to fill.”

Ackerman was honored with the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021.

The league confirmed that a nationwide search for Ackerman’s successor will commence immediately.