Big East commissioner Val Ackerman to retire

Big East Conference commissioner Val Ackerman speaks during a Xavier University basketball preseason preview event at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.

Val Ackerman, the longtime commissioner of the Big East Conference (c. 2013), is retiring at the end of this summer, the league announced on Monday. Ackerman had been leading the basketball-centric league, born from the death of the original Big East, since June of 2013.

Ackerman played a large role in UConn joining the league in 2020, a move that seems to have worked out well for everyone, aside from the teams that lost some juice. The Huskies have been dominant in Big East women’s basketball and baseball in addition to men’s hoops.

The league has had some highs and lows across Ackerman’s tenure. On the plus side, the league has maintained its primary broadcast contract with FOX, added some new partners, and has the best event of college basketball’s championship week, the men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, through at least 2032.

As it relates to efforts around the league’s brand and image, it could have used more ideas on that front. The Big East is fighting an ongoing battle for respect, as NCAA Tournament snubs and seeding have proven. The women’s basketball programs have not advanced much from adding Geno Auriemma’s superpower to their ranks.

The basketball leagues could also use better refereeing, better broadcast windows for top teams, and coaches have also been advocating for a shorter league schedule to allow for more marquee matchups.

The new Big East commissioner will need to work to close the revenue gap with the “Power Four” leagues and the perception of weakness surrounding the league. Expansion is also a topic that comes up frequently; perhaps a new commissioner may be more aggressive there.