Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman to Retire

The Big East Conference is looking for a new commissioner, with current leader Val Ackerman set to retire on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. Ackerman, 66, helped revive the Big East after programs like UConn, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse and West Virginia departed in one of the first waves of realignment to shake college athletics. She’s served in her current position since 2013, overseeing UConn’s return to the conference; prior to that, Ackerman chaired the WNBA as league president.

Per the league release, “A national search for her successor will be spearheaded by the BIG EAST Board of Directors and will commence immediately.” St. John’s President Rev. Brian J. Shanley serves as the Chair of the Big East Board of Directors, comprised of each of presidents of the league’s 11 member institutions: they rotate in two-year terms, with Shanley’s tenure beginning in June 2025.

While member institutions Villanova and UConn have combined to win four of the last 10 men’s national championships for basketball — the Huskies’ women’s squad adds another title — the Big East is often pushed to the margins in favor of megaconferences like the Big 10 and the SEC.

The Big East will also lose senior associate commissioner Dan Leibovitz to the Atlantic 10, where he’ll serve as commissioner beginning on May 4. With uncertainty shaking college athletics in the wake of continued conference realignment and the fallout of pay-to-play NIL schemes, the league’s next leader will oversee a pivotal period in the history of college athletics.