USA Cricket Files For Bankruptcy Amid Turmoil with ICC

USA Cricket has announced it has voluntarily filed for financial reorganization under Chapter 11, Subchapter V of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

USA Cricket CEO Johnathan Atkeison, who joined the organization in 2024 after previously contributing to a reorganization of USA Rugby, emphasized that this action is designed to reorganize financially and give the organization time to address concerns raised by the International Cricket Council.

“The decision was not made lightly, but it is the best course of action to secure USA Cricket and allow it the time and space it needs to successfully reorganize,” said Atkeison.

This latest announcement comes on the heels of the International Cricket Council suspending USA Cricket with immediate effect as a member on September 24. That decision, however, will not impact the national team’s participation in the T20 World Cup starting in February in India and Sri Lanka or the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles.

The ICC cited “repeated and continued breaches of its obligations as a ICC member” for USA Cricket, including the inability to implement a functional governance structure and lack of progress toward achieving National Governing Body status with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

According to a statement from USA Cricket, “One factor to USA Cricket’s need for financial reorganization was the financial strain and operational interference caused by the ACE agreement. The original 50–year agreement, which heavily favors ACE, does not appear to have been completed at arm’s length as understood by the USA Cricket Board. It was negotiated largely by one USA Cricket Board member who did not disclose certain conflicts of interest that both he and his employer had with ACE affiliates.”

The USA Cricket Board terminated the American Cricket Enterprises agreement on August 22, 2025.

USA Cricket further stated that the organization “receives only a small percentage of ACE’s gross cricket-related revenues” and that “this arrangement purports to preclude USA Cricket from seeking team sponsors or broadcast partners, and effectively limits other events and competition from entering the market.”

“We have been forced into the protections of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court because ACE is well aware of its stature as an 800–pound gorilla and has weaponized its financial muscle to frustrate our ability to govern the sport,” said Corey MacDonald, USA Cricket general counsel.

USA Cricket also claims that ACE failed to deliver on promised infrastructure projects, saying “the agreement stipulates the development of six ICC grade stadiums by 2025, yet ACE has developed only one stadium to date. This failure is critical as the sport gears up for its first Olympic debut in 100 years at LA 2028.”