Championship launch: Dates, Wolves vs Blackburn, Premier League hopes

The 2026-27 Football League Championship opens on Friday, August 14, with Wolves hosting Blackburn Rovers at 3pm ET at the Molineux Stadium, marking the start of a 46‑match gauntlet for 24 teams chasing three coveted Premier League spots.

The season runs through May 1, 2027, giving clubs a full campaign to secure promotion or avoid relegation. Each team will play 46 matches, the standard format for the Championship.

The promotion playoffs have expanded this season, now featuring six teams instead of four. The third‑ and fourth‑placed clubs enter two‑legged semifinals, while the fifth‑ through eighth‑placed sides contest single‑leg eliminators (5th v 8th and 6th v 7th) for the remaining semifinal places. Winners of the semifinals meet at Wembley Stadium for the final Premier League place.

Full roster of Championship clubs

The league comprises clubs such as Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Bristol City, Burnley, Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic, Derby County, Lincoln City, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Norwich City, Portsmouth, Preston North End, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United, Southampton, Stoke City, Swansea City, Watford, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, alongside others.

Middlesbrough field three USMNT players after Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten joined the club, while Patrick Agyemang remains at Derby County, George Campbell plays for West Bromwich Albion, Damion Downs stays with Southampton, and Kristoffer Lund has moved to Birmingham City.

Southampton begin the campaign in last place after a four‑point deduction for a spying scandal and removal from the previous season’s promotion final.

Promotion race and early favourites

As usual, the three clubs relegated from the Premier League are expected to bounce back, with West Ham United widely tipped for an immediate return. Wolves and Burnley sit close behind, and Middlesbrough also feature among the early contenders.

Investment has lifted Birmingham City and Wrexham into the conversation, while Southampton remain in the mix despite their points deficit. Dark‑horse clubs such as Norwich City, Sheffield United and Millwall could also emerge as promotion challengers.

The Championship’s matches will be streamed on Paramount+ with select games on the Network, ensuring broad access for fans throughout the season.