When does the 2024/25 Championship season start?

The 2024/25 Championship season kicks off on the 9th of August with Preston vs Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers vs Derby County.

Every game of the opening weekend of the 2024/25 Championship season can be watched on the TV in the U.K.
Games on Sky Sports Main Event/Football:

• Blackburn v Derby
• Oxford v Norwich
• Sheffield Wednesday v Plymouth Argyle
• Luton Town v Burnley

The rest of the opening weekend games will be shown on Sky Sports +.

This season sees Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United return to the Championship after one season back in the Premier League.

Luton Town’s triumphant return to the Premier League ended with The Hatters in 18th, with six wins, eight draws and 24 losses in 38 games and six points from safety.

Burnley completed a yo-yo campaign with their relegation back to the Championship after they finished 19th in the Premier League. The Clarets picked up just five wins, nine draws and 24 losses, leaving them on 24 points and eight points from another Premier League season.

The Hatters open their returning campaign in the Championship against fellow relegated team Burnley at Kenilworth Road. Luton and Burnley have met 55 times in their histories, with the first meeting coming back in 1897. Burnley have the better record in the fixture with 25 wins in comparison to Luton’s 16 wins, the other 14 games ending in a draw.

Sheffield United completed a disappointing season in the Premier League as they finished bottom of the league. In 38 games, The Blades picked up three wins, seven draws and 28 losses, which left them on 16 points, 16 points from safety.

The Blades open their Championship season against Preston North End at Deepdale. Sheffield United and Preston have met 122 times in their histories, with the first game coming all the way back in 1893. The Blades have the better record in the fixture with 54 wins in comparison to Preston’s 36 wins, the other 32 games ending in a draw.

The promoted sides from League One include Portsmouth, Derby County and Oxford United.

Portsmouth are back in the second-tier of English football for the first time since the 2011/12 season, when they were relegated following a 10-point deduction for their deepening financial issues.

Pompey’s first game back in the Championship will be against Leeds United at Elland Road. Portsmouth and Leeds have met 58 times in their histories, with the first meeting coming back in the 1923 FA Cup. Leeds do have the better record in the fixture with 23 wins in comparison to Portsmouth’s 18 wins, with the other 17 games ending in a draw.

Derby County are back in the Championship after two seasons in League One. Derby made it to back-to-back Play-offs in the Championship back in 2017/18 and 2018/19, but the next few seasons saw them in free-fall, eventually ending in their relegation in 2022.

The Rams’ first game in the Championship this season sees them take on Blackburn Rovers. Ewood Park sees both sides look for an opening win on the first Friday Night Football of the Championship season.

Derby and Blackburn have a storied history, as this will be the 140th meeting between the two sides, with the first meeting coming all the way back in 1888. Blackburn have the better record in the fixture with 61 wins in comparison to Derby’s 42 wins, with the other 36 games ending in a draw.

Oxford United will play Championship football for the first time since 2001. Since that relegation, Oxford United have played most of their football in the third-tier of English football, and had a spell in the Conference National League.

The Us open their campaign at home at Kassam Stadium against Norwich City. Oxford United and Norwich have met 23 times in their histories, with the first meeting coming back in 1968. Norwich have the better record in the fixture with 11 wins in comparison to Oxford’s seven wins, the other five games ending in a draw.

Each team in the Championship will play at least 46 games throughout the season, though this can extend to 51 games if a team progresses through the Play-offs.

Overall, in the Championship, there will be 552 games played throughout the Championship season.

The 2024/25 Championship regular season will finish on the Saturday, 3rd of May 2025. The Play-offs will take place after this weekend, with the Final scheduled for the May Bank Holiday weekend of the 24-26th of May.

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