Val Ackerman, the Commissioner of the Big East Conference, announced her retirement effective this summer after 13 years in leadership. During her tenure, Ackerman oversaw a period of significant change, including the league's realignment and the achievement of eight national championships in men's and women's basketball. She took on the role in 2013 when the conference was losing several key programs, but successfully re-established the Big East with a focus on basketball, bringing in teams like Butler, Creighton, and Xavier. Notably, she facilitated the return of the University of Connecticut (UConn) in 2020, which has since won three national championships. Ackerman's contributions have been recognized with several awards, including induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. The Big East Board of Directors expressed deep gratitude for her leadership and announced that a search for her successor will begin immediately.