In the race to become America’s next breakout sport, collegiate cricket is moving faster than anyone expected. And today, the Collegiate Cricket League® (CCL) just how quickly the landscape is shifting. The league announced that the 2026 Collegiate Cup®—the national championship for U.S. college cricket—will be held March 11–15, 2026, at the Broward County Cricket Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, the nation’s only ICC-certified international cricket venue. For a sport that’s edging into mainstream American consciousness ahead of LA28, the choice of venue is both symbolic and strategic: collegiate cricket is stepping onto a world-class stage.
It comes at a moment when the CCL is experiencing major growth. Season II has already generated 100+ million social impressions, drawn 1.1 million livestream viewers on the NCL Cricket App, and surpassed 100,000 total followers—numbers that position the CCL as the fastest-growing collegiate sports league in the United States and one of the hottest amateur leagues anywhere in the world.
A New Generation of Cricket Stars Is on U.S. Campuses
This year, 35 universities are battling across four regional tournaments for one goal: a place in the Collegiate Cup®. Six teams have already earned their spots. Midwest Regional – Chicago
- University of Wisconsin–Madison: Champions, led by rising star Mittansh Nithiyanandam
- Ohio State University: Runner-up, with standout performances from
- Rhydhm Patel – Best Batter
- Pranav Suresh – Best Bowler
- University of Michigan: Clinched third, driven by Louhith Umashankar, the tournament’s MVP
Atlantic Regional – Washington, D.C.
- University of Pittsburgh: Regional champions after a historic century by MVP Omkar Zope and strong bowling from Utkarsh Tiwari
- Rutgers University: Powered by bowler Adityasriram Josyula
- George Washington University: Led by top-order run-machine Vansh Kumar
These six teams will soon be joined by the winners of the Southern Regional (Atlanta, February 2026) and the Western Regional (Los Angeles, January 16–18, 2026), completing the elite 12-team set that will compete in Florida.
The National Player of the Year Race Is Heating Up
For the first time, collegiate cricket has a true statistical spotlight—one that mirrors the analytics-driven excitement of major American sports.
Right now, the leaderboard is defined by consistency, clutch hitting, and breakout bowling performances:
- Omkar Zope (Pittsburgh) – 786 runs in eight matches, the league’s first century, and 1,002 performance points
- Vansh Kumar (George Washington) – 287 runs and 600 points
- Louhith Umashankar (Michigan) – 485 points across six appearances
- Other top contenders: Utkarsh Tiwari (Pitt), Rithik Rao (GWU), Rhydhm Patel (Ohio State)
But analysts are keeping a close eye on two players expected to surge once their regionals take place:
- Mayank Gangwar (University of Florida)
- Trinabh Khera Sahni (UCLA)
Both were drafted by the National Cricket League (NCL) this fall—another sign that collegiate cricket is becoming the official pipeline for professional cricket talent in the U.S.
Why This Moment Matters for U.S. Cricket
Cricket’s growth in America has often been described as “inevitable but slow.” That era is over.
The Collegiate Cricket League is proving that the future of American cricket will be built on college campuses, where student-athletes are driving both participation and digital engagement at record speed.
The league’s nonprofit mission—to expand scholarships, varsity recognition, and infrastructure—means colleges now have a pathway to turn cricket into a marquee program. And the CCL’s digitally native audience, driven by short-form highlights and viral plays, is positioning the sport exactly where Gen Z consumes sports today.
The 2026 Collegiate Cup® will not only crown a national champion—it will serve as a preview of what U.S. cricket may look like heading into the Olympics.