Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman discusses a host of topics related to the business of sports, including what Villanova’s NCAA men’s basketball championship -- its second in three years -- means for not only the Wildcats but the other universities in the conference. She also talks about the conference’s national TV deal with Fox Sports and what kinds of digital and social opportunities are available. Ackerman also talks about eschewing costly football programs and the growth of women’s basketball, including her time at the helm of the WNBA.  

One of the most powerful women in sports, Ackerman was named the fifth commissioner of the Big East in 2013. She was the founding president of the WNBA and a past president of USA Basketball, which oversees the Olympic program. She attended the University of Virginia as one of the university’s first female student-athlete scholarship recipients.