Major League Cricket moving to Grand Prairie ahead of its third season

Major League Cricket is moving its headquarters from San Francisco to Grand Prairie as part of its plans to grow the sport in the U.S.

Why it matters: Grand Prairie Stadium has become the epicenter of U.S. cricket.

• The converted minor league baseball stadium has hosted Major League Cricket (MLC) and World Cup matches since opening in 2023, drawing fans with roots in many different countries and piquing advertisers' interest.

The big picture: MLC matches are broadcast internationally. Millions tune in and thousands pack the stadiums, even on hot days.

• Cricket will return to the Olympics in 2028, for the first time since 1900.

The latest: Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium will host 12 regular-season MLC matches in the league's third season, along with the playoffs and the final.

• MLC moved its schedule to June this year to avoid the hotter days in July, Texas Super Kings co-owner Anurag Jain tells Axios. Most of the Grand Prairie matches will be at night.

Follow the money: Last year's Men's T20 World Cup infused more than $100 million into the Texas economy, from lodging, flights and dining, league officials say.

• Grand Prairie hosted four matches.

Fun fact: MLC's new CEO, Johnny Grave, has worked in international cricket for almost 25 years and was most recently the CEO of Cricket West Indies.

The intrigue: Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen, a longtime baseball fan, says he has become a cricket fan since attending the stadium's inaugural match in 2023.

• "It was a party. I will never forget that night," he said Thursday at a news conference.
• One fan stopped Jensen and thanked him for bringing cricket closer to him.
• "I didn't think I'd ever be able to bring my child to a game that I grew up playing, here in the states," the fan told the mayor.

What's next: The Super Kings' first home game is June 20 against the San Francisco Unicorns. MLC tickets start at $20.