Football fans across England will have their calendars at the ready when the English Football League releases fixtures for the 2026-27 season at noon on Thursday, 25 June. Among the most anticipated storylines is Leicester City’s appearance in the third tier for only the second time in their 142-year history, following consecutive relegations that have stunned the football world. West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley will all attempt to navigate Championship football after dropping out of the Premier League, while Lincoln City celebrate a return to the second tier after 65 years in the lower divisions.
Competition across all three divisions begins on the weekend of 14 August to 16 August, though the Carabao Cup first round will kick off proceedings a week earlier from 7 August to 9 August. Sky Sports will broadcast more than 1,000 matches as part of their ongoing television deal, now in its third year, ensuring supporters can follow their clubs throughout what promises to be a compelling campaign. BBC Sport will provide live text coverage for the majority of fixtures, giving fans comprehensive access to match action across the Championship, League One and League Two.
Leicester will face an unfamiliar landscape in League One, coming up against clubs like Bromley, who have reached the third tier for the first time in their history. Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday will provide stern competition alongside MK Dons, Cambridge United and Notts County. When Leicester last played in the third tier during the 2008-09 season, they secured the championship and returned to the second tier immediately, a feat they will desperately hope to replicate. Before that campaign, supporters would need to reach back to 1894 to find the Foxes outside the top two divisions, when they competed in the former Midland Football League.
West Ham face their first spell outside the top flight in 14 years, though history provides encouragement for the east London club. When they last dropped to the Championship in 2012, immediate promotion followed, and their experience and resources should make them formidable opponents for any second tier side. Wolves have not tasted Championship football for nine years and will begin their campaign under new head coach Cesar Peixoto, who replaced Rob Edwards following his dismissal just seven months after arriving at Molineux. Burnley remain without a permanent manager after Scott Parker’s departure in the wake of relegation, though reports suggest Wales boss Craig Bellamy has emerged as a leading candidate for the Turf Moor hot seat.
Lincoln City’s achievement in reaching the Championship represents one of the most remarkable journeys in recent English football. After dropping into the National League and clawing their way back through the divisions, Michael Skubala guided them to League One glory last season. Skubala has since departed for Bristol City, leaving Lincoln to navigate their highest level of competition since 1961 under new leadership. Bolton Wanderers and Cardiff City complete the trio of promoted sides joining the second tier, adding further intrigue to what appears to be one of the most competitive Championship seasons in memory.
At the other end of the pyramid, League Two welcomes back York City and Rochdale, who both accumulated more than 100 points in the National League last season to earn their returns to the English Football League. Exeter City, Port Vale, Rotherham United and Northampton Town have all dropped down from League One, with Rotherham experiencing fourth tier football for the first time since the 2012-13 season. For clubs throughout the divisions, Thursday’s fixture release represents the moment when planning truly begins, as supporters book travel, request time off work and dream of their team’s potential trajectory through what promises to be another memorable EFL campaign.
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