NEW YORK — Kicking off today’s Game Changers conference, retired Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman received multiple standing ovations as she was presented with the first Val Ackerman Legacy of Leadership Award.

The annual award, which will be presented in her honor annually at Game Changers, will recognize a woman whose career represents the highest standard of leadership in sports. It will honor exceptional executive leadership and vision; integrity and professionalism; lasting contributions to the industry; a commitment to advancing opportunities for women; and meaningful mentorship of future leaders.

SBJ Publisher and Executive Editor Abe Madkour recounted how a note from Ackerman in 2010 was the genesis of Game Changers.

“A conference focusing on issues related to the business of women in sports is worth exploring,” Ackerman explained in her note. There was value in “bringing people together to discuss the opportunities and the challenges” of women in sports business and that “the conversation deserved a larger platform.”

“And like so many things this person thought of over her career, she was right. … And this room is the result of her idea,” Madkour said to the ballroom full of conference attendees.

Ackerman, a member of SBJ’s 2011 class of Champions: Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business, retired as commissioner of the Big East Conference at the end of August after 13 years in that role. She was the inaugural president of the WNBA in 1996, becoming the first woman to launch and operate a women’s sports league.

Thanking SBJ for the recognition and commitment to the conference, Ackerman also congratulated this year’s class of Game Changers. “It is completely impossible not to be inspired by all of your stories and I think it’s safe to say the future of the sports industry is in very good hands with such an exceptional group helping lead the way.”

She offered five “nuggets of what it takes to be a leader in the sports world”:

Always remember that relationships matter. “Sports is nothing if not a relationship business. No matter where you sit on the totem pole, how you treat people and how when you show up for others will define you.”Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. “I believe that the most respected leaders are the ones who absorb the best qualities of their mentors, and then meld those with the own unique talents.”There’s no substitute in any field for competency and hard work. “Be good at what you do, find a way to fill in your gaps — we all have those — never stop trying to learn, devour your news feeds — especially SBJ — and come really well prepared whenever you have a call, a meeting, presentation.”There’s no excuse for not showing gratitude or tipping your hat for a job well done. “No success in sports is ever possible by somebody working alone. … Expressing thanks for those efforts goes a long way.”Ackerman’s last point covered her experience of being a parent in the sports industry and raising two daughters with her husband, Charlie, a Wall Street attorney.

“If you want to advance and still have the pieces of your life fit together, communicate with your supervisor so that your responsibilities and boundaries are clearly defined, accept that a good job versus perfection can be good enough and make sure you have a lot of energy.”

Ackerman recognized her daughter, Sally Rappaport, who was 20 months old when she became president of the WNBA and “who is now expecting her first child and mine and Charlie’s first grandchild, and yes, it’s a girl.”