St. John's University Athletics
Val Ackerman to Receive Honorary Degree at St. John’s Commencement
5/15/2026 9:20:00 AM | General
BIG EAST Commissioner to be recognized for lifetime of visionary leadership in college and professional athletics
QUEENS, N.Y. - BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman will receive an honorary degree from St. John's when the University hosts its undergraduate commencement exercises this Sunday, May 17, at 10 a.m. on The Great Lawn.
Named the first commissioner of the realigned BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, Ackerman, who recently announced her impending retirement from a trailblazing career in athletics spanning five separate decades, has guided the conference from an uncertain beginning to a position of undeniable prominence on the national stage.
"Val Ackerman's leadership has been the single greatest factor in the BIG EAST's ability to maintain its place in the shifting landscape of college athletics," said Vice President and Director of Athletics Edward Kull. "Her wisdom and vision have helped raise the profile of the league and all 11 of its member schools have benefitted greatly from having her at the helm of our conference."
During Ackerman's tenure, the BIG EAST has produced numerous national champions, including four of the past 11 in men's basketball and one in women's basketball.
In addition to success on the fields of competition, Ackerman has also undertaken numerous initiatives to raise the profile of the league, including the formation of the BIG EAST Digital Network, which streams more than 700 contests per year. She has also championed causes aimed at enhancing the student-athlete experience and overall student-athlete well-being across the league's 20-plus sports.
Ackerman attended the University of Virginia, where she was a two-time Academic All-American for the Cavaliers. She played professionally in France before returning to obtain a law degree from UCLA.
Ackerman's career in athletics began in 1988 when she joined the National Basketball Association as a staff attorney. She served as a special assistant to Commissioner David Stern and Vice President of Business Affairs before becoming the first president of the WNBA in 1996.
In 2005, Ackerman began her tenure as the president of USA Basketball, a span that included gold medal wins for the both the men's and women's basketball teams at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In addition to her time as president, Ackerman also served on the board of USA Basketball for 23 years.
A 2021 enshrinee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Ackerman also received the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 and has been inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (2011), the New Jersey Hall of Fame (2021) and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame (2023).
Named the first commissioner of the realigned BIG EAST in the summer of 2013, Ackerman, who recently announced her impending retirement from a trailblazing career in athletics spanning five separate decades, has guided the conference from an uncertain beginning to a position of undeniable prominence on the national stage.
"Val Ackerman's leadership has been the single greatest factor in the BIG EAST's ability to maintain its place in the shifting landscape of college athletics," said Vice President and Director of Athletics Edward Kull. "Her wisdom and vision have helped raise the profile of the league and all 11 of its member schools have benefitted greatly from having her at the helm of our conference."
During Ackerman's tenure, the BIG EAST has produced numerous national champions, including four of the past 11 in men's basketball and one in women's basketball.
In addition to success on the fields of competition, Ackerman has also undertaken numerous initiatives to raise the profile of the league, including the formation of the BIG EAST Digital Network, which streams more than 700 contests per year. She has also championed causes aimed at enhancing the student-athlete experience and overall student-athlete well-being across the league's 20-plus sports.
Ackerman attended the University of Virginia, where she was a two-time Academic All-American for the Cavaliers. She played professionally in France before returning to obtain a law degree from UCLA.
Ackerman's career in athletics began in 1988 when she joined the National Basketball Association as a staff attorney. She served as a special assistant to Commissioner David Stern and Vice President of Business Affairs before becoming the first president of the WNBA in 1996.
In 2005, Ackerman began her tenure as the president of USA Basketball, a span that included gold medal wins for the both the men's and women's basketball teams at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In addition to her time as president, Ackerman also served on the board of USA Basketball for 23 years.
A 2021 enshrinee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Ackerman also received the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 and has been inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (2011), the New Jersey Hall of Fame (2021) and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame (2023).
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