In a dramatic turn, USA Cricket has finally dissolved its 50-year relationship with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the entity that introduced Major League Cricket (MLC). The agreement in 2019 granted ACE sole rights to run a premier T20 league within the U.S. as well as commercialize national teams and cricket infrastructure. The board made the call during an acrimonious three-hour board meeting. The action comes as divisions in USA Cricket deepened at a time when the governing body is already suspended from the ICC. Boardroom Divide and Legal Concerns The move to dissolve the partnership was spearheaded by Chairman Venu Pisike and Director David Haubert, seconded by Srini Salver, Anj Balusu, and Pintoo Shah. They defeated directors Nadia Gruny, Kuljit Nijjar, Atul Rai, and Arjun Gona, who moved against the motion. The board CEO Johnathan Atkeison and lawyers firmly advised against the move. Informed sources say that Atkeison forecasted a bankruptcy within weeks for USA Cricket if it did not receive regular financial assistance from ACE. Since 2019, ACE has donated over $10 million in sanction charges, operating costs, and player payments. Legal professionals also questioned the dismissal standing up to arbitration. An outside lawyer even labeled the action "reckless." ACE will likely fight the ruling in court, which would be an added financial burden for the cash-starved board. Also Read | Oval Invincibles to be Renamed as MI London For The Hundred 2026 National Team Programs Under Threat The immediate consequence is uncertainty over the U.S. national teams. USA Cricket and MLC had planned a $700,000 budget for future men's, women's, and junior matches, including matches against West Indies A in October. With the alliance now broken, those games are at risk, depriving the national teams of valuable practice before international tournaments. The ICC suspension has already limited funding, and in the absence of ACE support, ICC T20 World Cup preparations will be badly affected. Although USA Cricket claims that it wishes MLC to stay on, the standoff between USA Cricket and ACE leaves cricket's future in America extremely uncertain. ACE, however, insists it has fulfilled its requirements, citing its quarterly payment and construction of a High-Performance Center in Grand Prairie, where ICC T20 World Cup games were played in 2024. The conflict now appears set to go to arbitration, where the result could change the course of U.S. cricket's future.