Championship Season Begins With Expanded Playoffs and Strong Relegated Clubs

The 2026-27 Sky Bet Championship season begins Friday, August 14, with Wolverhampton Wanderers hosting Blackburn Rovers at Molineux. The campaign will feature an expanded playoff format, with six teams now qualifying for the end-of-season knockout tournament, up from the previous four. The opening weekend also includes a significant Welsh derby on Monday, August 17, when Cardiff City face Wrexham.

The season starts with relegated Premier League clubs West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers as the favorites for promotion. West Ham, who retained key forward Jarrod Bowen, are considered the strongest squad in the division. Wolves, back in the second tier for the first time since 2018, have also kept the core of their Premier League squad and added experienced free agents Raul Jimenez and Kieran Trippier under new manager Cesar Peixoto. Burnley, another side relegated from the top flight, are also expected to challenge.

Wrexham enters the season as one of the division's most-watched clubs, following their extraordinary rise from the National League under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. After finishing seventh in their first Championship season, just missing...