American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the driving force behind Major League Cricket, has filed legal proceedings against USA Cricket (USAC) after the national governing body cancelled their long-standing commercial partnership.
The two organisations had worked together since May 2019, with ACE providing finances for national programmes and running both Major League Cricket (MLC) and its feeder competition, Minor League Cricket. On 21 August USAC tore up the agreement, alleging ACE had failed “to fulfil its contractual and fiduciary obligations”, including payments promised to the national squad and support staff.
ACE rejects that version of events. In court documents lodged on Tuesday – and in a statement released a day later – the company described the termination as unlawful. “USAC’s handling of the ACE agreement has been chaotic and reckless. It is emblematic of USAC’s bad faith,” the statement read. “A small group of USAC directors have chosen to prioritise politics rather than preparing teams that can build on their recent successes. These actions have jeopardised ACE’s significant investments into U.S. cricket over the last six years.”
USAC initially signalled a willingness to revisit the contract and even suspended the termination for seven days. Yet, on 16 September it reinstated the break-up “without holding any meaningful discussions directly with ACE”, according to the complaint now before the courts.
Players left guessing
The legal wrangle lands at a delicate moment. USA’s men enjoyed a promising home summer and are scheduled to appear at next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. ACE had pencilled in a high-performance camp for 35 players in Morrisville, North Carolina, featuring three 50-over and three T20 fixtures against West Indies A.
“Is that all still taking place or not? These camps have to take place for the players to get ready for those things,” USA all-rounder Corey Anderson said last week. “All of those things are very much in a big question mark at the moment, which again just creates more uncertainty around the players.”
Facilities and finances
ACE owns the refurbished Grand Prairie venue in Dallas that doubles as the national High Performance Centre, as well as training hubs in Morrisville, south Florida and northern California. The company argues that USAC’s decision puts further investment – and even routine maintenance of those grounds – at risk.
The governing body has yet to respond publicly to Tuesday’s filing. Insiders insist USAC believes it acted within the terms of the deal, pointing to what it views as repeated late payments. One board member, speaking on background, said the organisation “simply wants a partner that meets its commitments on time”.
What happens next?
Court timetables will dictate the immediate future, yet both parties face pressure to find at least a temporary solution. USA’s men’s side expect to finalise a fixture list for early 2026 as part of their build-up to the World Cup. Coaches are reluctant to plan without clarity on funding.
Commercial partners are watching too. MLC’s second season, completed two months ago, drew healthy crowds in Texas and North Carolina. Franchises are already scouting overseas signings for 2026, but owners admit privately that a protracted dispute will complicate budgets and player contracts.
A messy chapter, but not fatal
USA cricket has survived ructions before, including multiple suspensions from the ICC. Observers note that both ACE and USAC need each other in the short term: USAC for facilities and cash, ACE for official sanctioning of its competitions.
For the moment, though, lawyers rather than cricketers hold centre stage. As one senior coach put it off the record, “Everyone just wants a straight answer. We can deal with good news or bad news – we just need to know where we stand.”
