American Cricket Council Unveils National School And Collegiate Cricket Initiative

The American Cricket Council (ACC) announced September 24, 2026, a nationwide initiative to “transform” school and collegiate cricket across the United States, a press release from the organization said. The ACC headquarters is in North Brunswick, NJ.

The ACC says it is dedicated to professionalizing and expanding school and college cricket in the United States through structured leagues, coaching certification, and academic scholarship pathways.

“Designed to align cricket with the established American sports ecosystem—modeled after the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations, est. 1920) and the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association, est. 1906)—the program creates structured grassroots pathways, high-performance coaching, and scholarship opportunities for student-athletes,” ACC said.

Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, left and Jatin Patel. PHOTO: Courtesy American Cricket Council

Former West Indies captain and Cricket Hall of Famer Shivnarine Chanderpaul will head high-performance coaching, Center for Excellence for players, and a dedicated coach training center.

Chanderpaul, who previously served as the USA Women’s head coach and led Jamaica Tallawahs team to a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) championship, will lead the initiative alongside multisport coach Jatin Patel and a team of professional coaches across North America.

Orlando, Florida will serve as ACC’s second home for high-performance training camps to support Inter-School and College Super Cup events and leagues.

“Our goal is to integrate cricket directly into the fabric of American high school and college sports culture,” Chair Patel is quoted saying. “By combining high-performance coaching, standardized educational curricula, and clear scholarship pathways, we are providing young athletes with a legitimate career and academic future in sport Cricket.”

National registration for schools, colleges, academies, and individual student-athletes officially opens on October 2, 2026. Comprehensive program guidelines, tournament structures, and scholarship criteria will be fully unveiled after the official launch event, ACC said.