For anyone looking for a career in basketball – and wanting to excel with fierce determination, navigate the toughest challenges with impeccable style and grace, while still accomplishing the task at hand – they need to look no further than Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Val Ackerman.
After four decades of service to professional and college basketball in many roles, including her current position as the commissioner of the Big East Conference, Ackerman is retiring after 13 years at the helm, bringing the league back to its historic place in college athletics after nearly coming close to extinction.
Ackerman will leave the position, effective Aug. 31, and a national search for her successor will start immediately and be led by the conference's Board of Directors.
"When we re-founded the Big East in 2013 as a basketball-centric conference, our first task was to find a commissioner who could provide the strategic vision needed to position us as a basketball peer with our football counterparts and compete with the country’s best. We found that visionary leader in Val Ackerman," said St. John’s President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., Chair of the Big East Board of Directors. "She leaves big shoes to fill."
2026: Michigan Wolverines2025: Florida Gators2024: Connecticut Huskies2023: Connecticut Huskies2022: Kansas Jayhawks2021: Baylor Bears2019: Virginia Cavaliers2018: Villanova Wildcats2017: North Carolina Tar Heels2016: Villanova Wildcats2015: Duke Blue Devils2014: Connecticut Huskies2013: Louisville Cardinals (title later vacated)2012: Kentucky Wildcats2011: Connecticut Huskies2010: Duke Blue Devils2009: North Carolina Tar Heels2008: Kansas Jayhawks2007: Florida Gators2006: Florida Gators2005: North Carolina Tar Heels2004: Connecticut Huskies2003: Syracuse Orangemen2002: Maryland Terrapins2001: Duke Blue Devils2000: Michigan State Spartans1999: Connecticut Huskies1998: Kentucky Wildcats1997: Arizona Wildcats1996: Kentucky Wildcats1995: UCLA Bruins1994: Arkansas Razorbacks1993: North Carolina Tar Heels1992: Duke Blue Devils1991: Duke Blue Devils1990: UNLV Runnin' Rebels1989: Michigan Wolverines1988: Kansas Jayhawks1987: Indiana Hoosiers1986: Louisville Cardinals1985: Villanova Wildcats1984: Georgetown Hoyas1983: North Carolina State Wolfpack1982: North Carolina Tar Heels1981: Indiana Hoosiers1980: Louisville Cardinals1979: Michigan State Spartans1978: Kentucky Wildcats1977: Marquette1976: Indiana Hoosiers1975: UCLA Bruins1974: North Carolina State Wolfpack1973: UCLA Bruins1972: UCLA Bruins1971: UCLA Bruins1970: UCLA Bruins1969: UCLA Bruins1968: UCLA Bruins1967: UCLA Bruins1966: Texas Western Miners1965: UCLA Bruins1964: UCLA Bruins1963: Loyola Ramblers1961: Cincinnati Bearcats1960: Ohio State Buckeyes1 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602026: Michigan Wolverines1 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602026: Michigan Wolverines2 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602025: Florida Gators3 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602024: Connecticut Huskies4 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602023: Connecticut Huskies5 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602022: Kansas Jayhawks6 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602021: Baylor Bears7 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602019: Virginia Cavaliers8 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602018: Villanova Wildcats9 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602017: North Carolina Tar Heels10 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602016: Villanova Wildcats11 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602015: Duke Blue Devils12 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602014: Connecticut Huskies13 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602013: Louisville Cardinals (title later vacated)14 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602012: Kentucky Wildcats15 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602011: Connecticut Huskies16 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602010: Duke Blue Devils17 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602009: North Carolina Tar Heels18 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602008: Kansas Jayhawks19 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602007: Florida Gators20 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602006: Florida Gators21 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602005: North Carolina Tar Heels22 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602004: Connecticut Huskies23 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602003: Syracuse Orangemen24 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602002: Maryland Terrapins25 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602001: Duke Blue Devils26 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19602000: Michigan State Spartans27 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601999: Connecticut Huskies28 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601998: Kentucky Wildcats29 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601997: Arizona Wildcats30 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601996: Kentucky Wildcats31 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601995: UCLA Bruins32 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601994: Arkansas Razorbacks33 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601993: North Carolina Tar Heels34 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601992: Duke Blue Devils35 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601991: Duke Blue Devils36 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601990: UNLV Runnin' Rebels37 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601989: Michigan Wolverines38 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601988: Kansas Jayhawks39 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601987: Indiana Hoosiers40 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601986: Louisville Cardinals41 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601985: Villanova Wildcats42 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601984: Georgetown Hoyas43 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601983: North Carolina State Wolfpack44 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601982: North Carolina Tar Heels45 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601981: Indiana Hoosiers46 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601980: Louisville Cardinals47 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601979: Michigan State Spartans48 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601978: Kentucky Wildcats49 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601977: Marquette50 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601976: Indiana Hoosiers51 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601975: UCLA Bruins52 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601974: North Carolina State Wolfpack53 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601973: UCLA Bruins54 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601972: UCLA Bruins55 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601971: UCLA Bruins56 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601970: UCLA Bruins57 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601969: UCLA Bruins58 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601968: UCLA Bruins59 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601967: UCLA Bruins60 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601966: Texas Western Miners61 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601965: UCLA Bruins62 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601964: UCLA Bruins63 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601963: Loyola Ramblers64 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601961: Cincinnati Bearcats65 / 65March Madness: Men's college basketball national champions since 19601960: Ohio State BuckeyesAckerman said her first contract at the Big East was for five years. After that contract had nearly expired, it was clear the conference's powers-that-be didn't want her going anywhere.
"Then they came back and said they wanted to sign me to a second contract. They said, how about five years?" Ackerman told USA TODAY Sports, hilariously explaining how she ended up staying for 13 years.
"I said, 'okay. How about three?' So I did that, then that contract ran out, and they came back to me and said, 'Can we sign you up for another five years?' And I said, 'how about three?' And then I went through that, and then they came again and said 'how about another five?' And I say, 'how about one?' "
The league is thriving with competitive teams and armed with a new media rights agreement with FOX, NBC Sports and TNT Sports through the 2030-31 season. The obvious question is, why leave now?
"It just felt like the time was right for me. I'd come back to what retirement means. I did what I was hired to do, which was to put the pieces back together again when this storied league broke up," she said, adding she is leaving on her own volition.
From a little girl shooting hoops outside of her Pennington, New Jersey home to playing at the University of Virginia, Ackerman knew she wanted to work in sports after earning a law degree from UCLA in 1985.
After being hired as a corporate associate at Simpson Thacher in New York, she tried in vain to secure her dream job. She still kept the numerous rejection letters, including one from the NBA. Undeterred, the opportunity came three years later, and the call came from Gary Bettman, the future NHL Commissioner, who at the time was the NBA's general counsel and senior vice president, and who hired Ackerman as a junior lawyer at the league office.
Once David Stern called her into his office 18 months later, asking her to help out on various projects, her career took off, including the timing of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowing nations to determine their own rules for professional athletes to compete at the Olympics.
Ackerman got to travel to the Barcelona Olympics with the original Dream Team and laid the groundwork for the women to follow suit, eventually leading to the formation of the women's team in Atlanta in 1996 and her being asked to be the WNBA's first top executive.
"That was a kind of a pinch-me moment working on the first Dream Team. I was there with some bandwidth and was asked to help out. So it wasn't a surprise that they asked me to do it," Ackerman said about the WNBA. "It was an honor, not quite a surprise, because I was sort of the person in-house at that time who was the basketball person."
Ackerman served as WNBA president for eight years, and the league thrived in its first few years before the novelty of women's professional basketball began to erode.
"Things cooled off, and there were some hard years there as it related to numbers dropping and teams folding," she said. "And we couldn't always relocate them. And that was eight years, and then my kids were getting older, and I don't know, I would say there were moments I missed as a parent because of my focus on work. Yeah, wish I could get some of those moments back."
When Ackerman was tapped to lead the Big East after seven schools (DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Villanova) separated from the original conference and from the football-playing schools to team up with Butler, Creighton, and Xavier, she knew that she was taking on a Herculean task. UConn completed the Big East reclamation project when it rejoined the league in 2020.
Armed with a cell phone and pretty much nothing else, the mandate from the league's presidents was clear: restore the glory and prestige of a once proud league, with the confidence to do it how you see fit.
When asked how difficult the job at hand would be on a scale of 1-10, Ackerman was not shy in her assessment of what she faced.
"25," she says, almost matter-of-factly. "It was really challenging, the most challenging thing I've ever done in my career. Even when the WNBA launched, we had David Stern make it a company priority, and I was sort of the tip of the spear, but the whole company was told this is a priority project. Here it was, at the beginning, really just me, for the most part, I tried to be resourceful in terms of getting other people involved, trying to hop quickly. But it was a true startup."