League One: Dates, schedule, history & more

Formerly the Second Division, the division has been known as League One since the beginning of the 2004/05 season, when the Football League, the three divisions below the Premier League, were rebranded.

Formerly the Second Division, the division has been known as League One since the beginning of the 2004/05 season, when the Football League, the three divisions below the Premier League, were rebranded.

Each season 24 clubs battle it out in a bid to be crowned champions with the top two teams earning automatic promotion to the Championship.

The four teams who finish the season between third and sixth then go into the play-offs for the final promotion spot with the winner joining the clubs who finished first and second in England's second tier, the Championship, the following season.

The sides who finish in the bottom four places at the end of the campaign are relegated to League Two.

League One dates

The 2024-25 League One season will begin on 10th August, 2024 and the regular season will finish on 3rd May, 2025.

The season-ending League One play-offs will take place after the conclusion of the regular season with the final taking place at Wembley Stadium.

League One teams

The confirmed list of teams taking part in the 2024/25 League One campaign will be:

Barnsley, Birmingham City, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Bristol Rovers, Burton Albion, Cambridge United, Charlton Athletic, Crawley Town, Exeter City, Huddersfield Town, Leyton Orient, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Northampton Town, Peterborough United, Reading, Rotherham United, Shrewsbury Town, Stevenage, Stockport County, Wigan Athletic, Wrexham, Wycombe Wanderers.

League One How to Watch

Sky Sports provides coverage of a number of League One fixtures across the season and the broadcaster has recently agreed a new package to show EFL fixtures through to the end of the 2028/29 campaign.

From 2024/25, Sky will broadcast a minimum of 248 League One matches and every play-off game per season.

The EFL's iFollow platform also provides a selection of League One matches that can be streamed in the UK.

No less than 40 EFL clubs for the 2023/24 season will use the iFollow platform to give access to games, while the remaining 32 clubs will use their own platforms.

League One format

League One is the second division of the English Football League, known as the EFL, and the third tier overall in the English league system, beneath the Premier League and Championship but above League Two.

The 24 teams in the division play each other twice, once at home and once away, with three points awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a defeat.

At the end of a gruelling 46-match campaign, the final standings determine who is promoted to the Championship and which clubs are relegated to League Two.

The top two sides are automatically promoted to the Championship and are joined by the winners of the play-offs, which are contested by the sides who finish third, fourth, fifth and sixth after 46 games.

The bottom four sides are relegated to League Two.

League One history

The third tier of English football has had a number of names down the years and between 1958 and 1992 it was known simply as Division Three.

The introduction of the Premier League in 1992 meant it then became Division Two until another rebrand in 2004. And for the past 19 years the division has been known as League One.

Birmingham, Huddersfield and Rotherham will join the third tier following relegation from the Championship, while Stockport, Wrexham, Mansfield and Crawley have come up from League Two.

League One winners

2023/24	Portsmouth
2022/23	Plymouth
2021/22	Wigan Athletic
2020/21	Hull City
2019/20	Coventry City
2018/19	Luton Town
2017/18	Wigan Athletic
2016/17	Sheffield United
2015/16	Wigan Athletic
2014/15	Bristol City
2013/14	Wolves
2012/13	Doncaster Rovers
2011/12	Charlton Athletic
2010/11	Brighton
2009/10	Norwich City
2008/09	Leicester City
2007/08	Swansea City
2006/07	Scunthorpe United
2005/06	Southend United
2004/05	Luton Town