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American Cricket Council unveils plan to expand youth cricket
The national program aims to expand youth cricket through competitive tournaments, coach education, and scholarship opportunities.
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Staff Reporter - Fri, 10, Jul 2026
- 18:25 EDT
- 31
American Cricket Council / Handout
The American Cricket Council (ACC) announced a national initiative to expand cricket across U.S. schools and colleges through new inter-school and intercollegiate tournaments, and a scholarship program for eligible student-athletes.
ACC said the initiative will feature the Cricket Hall of Fame (ChoF) Inter-School Championship, the Intercollegiate Super Cup, and a Super League tournament.
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The Param Veers Sports Complex in Atlanta will serve as the primary competition venue, the year-round home of ACC events, and also as the USA Center for Excellence for player development and coach education.
The Cricket Hall of Fame, based in Hartford, Connecticut, will partner with the ACC on the program. Administration and operational staffing are expected to be established in the coming months, with recruitment focusing on recent U.S. college graduates who have competed in cricket at the national, regional, or representative level.
The initiative is backed by several leaders in the U.S. cricket community, including Dr. H.R. Shah, CEO and chairman of TV Asia, Michael Chambers, executive director and founder of the Cricket Hall of Fame, Jayesh Patel, owner of the Param Veers Sports Complex and Cricket Hall of Famer, and Jatin Patel, director of the Cricket Hall of Fame. Jatin Patel will also oversee coaching and cricket education programs for schools and colleges.
Ashok P. Patel, Cricket Hall of Famer and founder president of the USA Cricket Academy, has also announced support for expanding cricket education in schools and advancing coach training. Cricket Show USA will be among the initiative's media partners.
Under the program, the ACC will introduce membership categories for student-athletes, coaches and academies, and umpires. Coaches will serve as local coordinators and will receive structured compensation linked to program responsibilities.
A team of educators will oversee academic support and scholarship administration, while funding is expected to come through sponsorships and commercial partnerships.
The Intercollegiate Super Cup is scheduled to launch in 2027 at the Param Veers Sports Complex with at least 12 teams and the capacity to expand to 24 or more. Schools unable to field independent teams will be permitted to compete through combined regional teams.
The scholarship program will prioritize NCAA-eligible student-athletes competing at Division I, II, and III institutions in the United States and Canada. Selection criteria will include academic performance and active participation in college cricket, with preference given to undergraduate students under 25 years of age, although eligible graduate students may also be considered.
Initially, scholarship eligibility will be limited to NCAA-affiliated institutions in the United States and Canada, with the possibility of expanding to Caribbean institutions in the future.
The ACC said the program will operate independently of existing cricket governing bodies, with league operations and scholarship administration managed directly by the council and its educational partner, ACEC.
The ACC said it will finalize tournament formats, membership procedures, scholarship applications, and coach education curricula in the coming months as it prepares to launch the initiative.
The organization said the program is intended to strengthen domestic cricket by creating structured competition, expanding coaching resources, and providing educational pathways for student cricketers.
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