LaGrange Cricket Stadium Available for Pro Soccer: Would a Team Come?
Could the facility attract investors to bring a USL or MLS NEXT Pro club to South Metro Atlanta?
On September 30, it was reported that an investment group is building a 10,500 seat cricket stadium in LaGrange, Georgia, a part of the greater Metro Atlanta area about an hour away from the city down Interstate 85. The venue is going to be multi-use, with a FIFA regulation-size soccer pitch also being laid down, and can expand to 25,000 seats. It will be located by the city’s Great Wolf Lodge waterpark and the Sola mixed-use development. Construction is set to start November 6 and be completed by 2027.
Project founder and DAS Cricket Academy (New Jersey) owner Siddharth Das responded to SESR’s questions on the project regarding potential pro soccer investment and more. To understand the interview with Mr. Das, we will provide as much context as possible regarding the city and the possibility of success for both sports.
LaGrange is a small city of just under 35,000 residents near the Georgia-Alabama border, an interesting pick for a huge professional facility. Atlanta is certainly a hub for cricket growth in the US, but LaGrange is not one of the strongest locations. The city of Cumming in the north metro area is host to a facility of cricket ovals, the Atlanta Cricket League (amateur), and two minor league teams, the Lightning and Fire. In the south metro, Peachtree City is home to their own smaller amateur league and has a recreational field on the way. LaGrange will have to act more as a hub city, pulling fans from Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, and elsewhere to watch the 2nd most popular sport in the world.
You’ll see questions in our interview that discuss different cricket organizations. Mr. Das owns a team that play in the United States Premier League (USPL), a sanctioned pro cricket league that is considered a level below the top league, Major League Cricket (MLC). They are on hiatus in 2025 for sustainability reasons and will return to play in 2026 after 3 successful seasons of play. The National Cricket League (NCL) is also briefly referenced. They are not sanctioned by the ICC but play tournaments in Dallas and have a team representing Atlanta.
That step back by the USPL for sustainability is needed in a time where USA Cricket, the national governing body, has lost backing from the ICC (cricket’s version of FIFA) and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to legal disputes with ACE, the group financially backing MLC. Major League Cricket has been a huge success for 3 seasons now, touring the country to good attendance numbers, but now the future for the league is a little uncertain. The US international team made the quarterfinals of the T20 Cricket World Cup last year after shocking Pakistan, and they are still allowed to play in competitions.
This uncertainty means that soccer could end up being the most popular tenant in the stadium, but pulling fans to games for a potential USL or MLS NEXT Pro team could be difficult. Youth soccer is extremely popular in south metro Atlanta, with Newnan, Peachtree City (PTC), Fayetteville, and McDonough all seeing the sport grow significantly. Peachtree City is home to the MOBA Soccer Stadium, which hosted the UPSL National Quarterfinal for the Southeast region this past spring. Fayetteville is the most well-known city of the group; they are the new home for US Soccer’s National Training Center. However, LaGrange is a half-hour drive from Newnan alone, and PTC/Fayetteville are a hour away. Will soccer fans be willing to drive down to LaGrange and watch a lower pro standard when an Atlanta United match is about the same distance away?

Location and distance concerns are questions Mr. Das answered below, as well as the feasibility of bringing pro cricket and soccer teams in as main tenants and clarifying stadium details.
Why was LaGrange chosen for the stadium location instead of other Metro Atlanta areas with stronger cricket cultures (Cumming/Forsyth County and Peachtree City, for example)?
Major factors were proximity to Atlanta, right off the highway, next to a hotel with more hotels and development coming in the region. Plus, local support from the township and they are very welcoming.
Is the stadium meant to be used by Major League Cricket? If so, will there be an expansion team representing Georgia? Will a team be owned by the stadium developers or by outside investors?
It will be used for all forms and levels of cricket, hosting tournaments and leagues, national and international games. The stadium also opens up the possibility of growth for MLC / NCL to have a local team.
If owned by stadium developers, would the team be the Atlanta Blackcaps, currently of the USPL?
AB is our own franchise that participates in USPL. We may have USPL tournament being hosted at the new stadium in the near future.
The stadium reportedly can expand to 25,000 seats. What would that be used for, maybe potentially attracting big international events (ICC Cricket, soccer, etc)? Would it be easily expandable and then could be brought back to the original capacity, or would it be a permanent expansion?
Based on the events we are able to host and the pipeline, we can plan for temporary or permanent expansion.
Reports state that a FIFA-regulation soccer field will be included with the stadium. How will it be laid down on the cricket oval to ensure quality of the pitch is high for both sports and that stands are close to the field?
Cricket requires high quality pitch and same goes for FIFA. We will have full time ground staff to manage those aspects. There will be enough time between games to work and prepare a quality turf.
Will there be an expansion effort for a professional soccer club using this new stadium? Would it be with the current or outside investors?
We are open for all partnerships and investors.
If there is an effort, would the club be targeting USL and/or MLS NEXT Pro?
Absolutely.
Is your group confident that in a city with a population of under 35,000 residents, you can attract enough fans to make any event (cricket, soccer, concerts, etc) worthwhile for the investment and to fill capacity?
Absolutely, I would drive a few hours to a great event. Fans do not mind driving to a top-class facility to participate in a great event.
In a way, these statements sort of act like USL’s letter of intents (LOI) do; they state willingness to work with any potential investors and the city to bring professional soccer in. A stadium with adjustable capacity that could reach USL First Division or Championship levels, a field surface that can be converted to and from cricket, and a strong private backing pushing construction to begin in a month’s time already set this project ahead of many other announced expansion plans by both USL and NEXT Pro, including the USL Roswell project in North Georgia. It’s a location with a few concerns, but it’s in of the most ready-for-soccer regional areas in the United States.
Will the phrase “if you build it, they will come” ring true for the Lagrange Cricket Stadium? We hope so for both soccer and cricket, two sports with lots of room to grow in the United States.