The Liga Premier is the third level division in the Mexican football league system. It has 49 teams divided into two divisions (Serie A and Serie B). They compete from the fall to spring each season, promotion and relegation between each group, and promotion to Liga de Expansión MX and relegation to Liga TDP within the league system.
 | |
| Founded | 1950, as Segunda División de México |
|---|---|
| Country | Mexico |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Divisions | 2 |
| Number of teams | 49 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Liga de Expansión MX |
| Relegation to | Liga TDP |
| Domestic cup(s) | Copa Conecta |
| Current champions | Tampico Madero (4th title) 2023-24 |
| Most championships | Zacatepec (5 titles) |
| TV partners | AYM Sports Televisa[1] TVC Deportes[2] |
| Website | ligapremier.mx |
| Current: 2024–25 Serie A de México season 2024–25 Serie B de México season | |
History
editThe champions of the 1993–94 Segunda División season was the last to be promoted to the Primera División. In 1994–95 season, the FMF created the Primera División A (renamed Ascenso MX in 2012)[3] with 15 teams from the Segunda División, and all other teams remained in the league that continued to be called Segunda División but at the new third level of Mexican football.
Each season has Segunda División teams divided into geographic zones with matches predominantly among the teams of that group. Each season had one tournament.
In 2008, the FMF, with the approval of the chairmen of the clubs in the second and third levels, change the format of the league dividing the number of teams into two divisions, the Liga Premier and the Liga de Nuevos Talentos. Each of the new leagues was divided into geographic groups. The winning club could earn promotion to Primera División A, renamed Liga de Ascenso in 2009, provided their stadium and financial stability met the licensing requirements of Liga de Ascenso. From 2011 and 2016, no teams were relegated to Liga Premier, although Pumas Morelos was to be relegated in 2013 but they dissolved before they could play in the lower league. Promotion still occurred during these years provided the club was licensed to participate. In June 2016, Ascenso MX announced they would resume relegating teams. Since that year only Loros UdeC in 2017 and Murciélagos in 2018 were relegated from the upper level.
In 2020, the Ascenso MX was abolished and replaced by a new league that was called Liga de Expansión MX, two Liga Premier teams were invited to the new category: Tepatitlán and Tlaxcala, teams who had won their promotion in 2016 and 2018 but were rejected in the second level for not meeting the requirements to participate. Since that year, the requirements to be admitted to the second level have been tightened, so only one team, Durango, could be promoted in 2022, although it only remained in the Liga de Expansión for one year. In 2024, another team achieved promotion to the Liga de Expansión, Tampico Madero, although it also obtained its place in the second level division as a guest team and not as a full member.
Rebranding
editIn June 2017, Segunda División announced a rebranding of the league. Instead of being referred to as the Segunda División de México they would be called Liga Premier. The league would continue to have two groups/divisions, however these new divisions would be called Serie A and Serie B. Serie A which would have independent teams as well as the affiliate teams of the higher level leagues in Mexico, Liga MX and Liga de Expansión MX, while Serie B would only have independent teams.[4]
Promotion and relegation would be formalized between the leagues. Serie A would promote one club to Liga de Expansión MX.[4] Additionally, one Serie B club could promote to Serie A and one club would be relegated from Serie A each year.[5] Finally, and four clubs would be promoted from Liga TDP provided they meet the Serie requirements of Article 57.[6]
Clubs
editThe Serie A has 36 teams divided into three geographical groups. The top 2 teams from each group and the two best third places at end of the tournament will qualify to the final phase, the two tournament champions will play in the Campeón de Campeones Liga Premier for promotion to Liga de Expansión MX provided that the club meets the requirements for the stadium and financial stability.
The Serie B has 13 teams in development, that cannot be promoted to the Liga de Expansión MX.[7]
Below are listed the member clubs of the Serie A for the 2024-25 season.[8]
| Serie A clubs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Group I | Group II | Group III |
| On hiatus |
|---|
Below are listed the member clubs of the Serie B for the 2024-25 season.[11]
| Serie B clubs |
|---|
| On hiatus |
|---|
Champions
edit| Club | Champions | Runners-up | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zacatepec | 5 | 3 | 1950-51, 1962-63, 1969-70, 1977-78, 1983-84 |
| Tampico Madero | 4 | 3 | 1993-94, Clausura 2016, Clausura 2023, 2023-24 |
| Universidad del Fútbol | 4 | 0 | Clausura 2008, Clausura 2009, Apertura 2009, Bicentenario 2010 |
| Irapuato | 3 | 7 | 1953-54, 1984-85, 2020-21 |
| Loros UdeC | 3 | 2 | Clausura 2015, Clausura 2018, 2018-19 |
| Atlas | 3 | 0 | 1954-55, 1971-72, 1978-79 |
| Durango | 3 | 0 | Invierno 1998, Verano 1999, Apertura 2021 |
| Pachuca Juniors | 3 | 0 | Clausura 2004, Apertura 2006, Apertura 2007 |
| Ciudad Madero | 2 | 3 | 1964-65, 1972-73 |
| Pachuca | 2 | 3 | 1966-67, 1991-92 |
| Monterrey | 2 | 2 | 1955-56, 1959-60 |
| Zitácuaro | 2 | 2 | Invierno 1997, Verano 2001 |
| Coatzacoalcos | 2 | 1 | Clausura 2003, Apertura 2005 |
| Tlaxcala | 2 | 1 | Apertura 2016, Clausura 2017 |
| Celaya | 2 | 0 | 1957-58, Independencia 2010 |
| San Luis | 2 | 0 | 1970-71, 1975-76 |
| Atlante | 2 | 0 | 1976-77, 1990-91 |
| Cobras | 2 | 0 | 1985-86, 1987-88 |
| Académicos | 2 | 0 | Apertura 2004, Clausura 2005 |
| Tulancingo | 2 | 0 | Apertura 2011, Clausura 2012 |
| Potros UAEM | 2 | 0 | Apertura 2014, Apertura 2015 |
| Real Zamora | 1 | 3 | 1956-57 |
| Cihuatlán | 1 | 3 | Invierno 2001 |
| Unión de Curtidores | 1 | 2 | 1982-83 |
| Cruz Azul Hidalgo | 1 | 2 | 1994-95 |
| Aguascalientes | 1 | 2 | Verano 1998 |
| Tepic | 1 | 2 | Apertura 2002 |
| La Piedad | 1 | 1 | 1951-52 |
| Tampico | 1 | 1 | 1958-59 |
| Nuevo León | 1 | 1 | 1965-66 |
| Laguna | 1 | 1 | 1967-68 |
| Tigres UANL | 1 | 1 | 1973-74 |
| Morelia | 1 | 1 | 1980-81 |
| León | 1 | 1 | 1989-90 |
| Bachilleres UdeG | 1 | 1 | 1996-97 |
| Real Cuautitlán | 1 | 1 | Invierno 1999 |
| Marte | 1 | 1 | Verano 2000 |
| Venados Yucatán | 1 | 1 | Apertura 2008 |
| Chivas Rayadas | 1 | 1 | Revolución 2011 |
| Murciélagos | 1 | 1 | Apertura 2012 |
| Tuzos UAZ | 1 | 1 | Apertura 2022 |
| Toluca | 1 | 0 | 1952-53 |
| Nacional | 1 | 0 | 1960-61 |
| Pumas UNAM | 1 | 0 | 1961-62 |
| Cruz Azul | 1 | 0 | 1963-64 |
| Torreón | 1 | 0 | 1968-69 |
| Tecos | 1 | 0 | 1974-75 |
| Atletas Campesinos | 1 | 0 | 1979-80 |
| Oaxtepec | 1 | 0 | 1981-82 |
| Correcaminos UAT | 1 | 0 | 1986-87 |
| Potros Neza | 1 | 0 | 1988-89 |
| Toros Neza | 1 | 0 | 1992-93 |
| Tigrillos UANL | 1 | 0 | 1995-96 |
| Tamaulipas | 1 | 0 | Invierno 2000 |
| Astros CDJ | 1 | 0 | Verano 2002 |
| Lobos BUAP | 1 | 0 | Apertura 2003 |
| Pegaso Anáhuac | 1 | 0 | Clausura 2006 |
| Cruz Azul Jasso | 1 | 0 | Clausura 2007 |
| Galeana Morelos | 1 | 0 | Clausura 2013 |
| Linces de Tlaxcala | 1 | 0 | Apertura 2013 |
| Atl. Coatzacoalcos | 1 | 0 | Clausura 2014 |
| Tepatitlán | 1 | 0 | Apertura 2017 |
| Mazorqueros | 1 | 0 | Clausura 2022 |
| Tapatío | 0 | 5 | – |
| Poza Rica | 0 | 3 | – |
| Tecamachalco | 0 | 3 | – |
| San Sebastián | 0 | 2 | – |
| Cuautla | 0 | 2 | – |
| UA de Querétaro | 0 | 2 | – |
| Inter Playa del Carmen | 0 | 2 | – |
| Veracruz | 0 | 1 | – |
| Leones Negros UdeG | 0 | 1 | – |
| Tecnológico de Celaya | 0 | 1 | – |
| Osos Grises | 0 | 1 | – |
| Jalisco | 0 | 1 | – |
| Inter de Tijuana | 0 | 1 | – |
| Delfines Xalapa | 0 | 1 | – |
| Real de la Plata | 0 | 1 | – |
| América Coapa | 0 | 1 | – |
| Autlán | 0 | 1 | – |
| Cachorros UdeG | 0 | 1 | – |
| Pumas Naucalpan | 0 | 1 | – |
| Atlas B | 0 | 1 | – |
| Necaxa San Juan | 0 | 1 | – |
| Tiburones de Córdoba | 0 | 1 | – |
| Dorados de Los Mochis | 0 | 1 | – |
| Altamira | 0 | 1 | – |
| Nuevo Laredo | 0 | 1 | – |
| Sonora | 0 | 1 | – |
| Cafetaleros | 0 | 1 | – |
| Los Cabos United | 0 | 1 | – |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Includes Adrenalina Sports Network
- ^ includes TVC Deportes 2
- ^ Between 2009 and 2011 the league was called Liga de Ascenso.
- ^ a b "Segunda División se convierte en Liga Premier". esto.com.mx. June 15, 2017.
- ^ Reglamento de Competencia (PDF), Liga Premier, Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación. Promotion/relegation between the Serie A and Serie B is covered in Section M on pages 28-29 in Articles 61-63.
- ^ Reglamento de Competencia (PDF), Liga Premier, Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, p. 26
- ^ "¡REGRESA LA SERIE B!". ligapremiermagazine.mx (in Spanish). 29 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "TRES GRUPOS EN SERIE A". Liga Premier Magazine (in Spanish). 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Oficializan la llegada de Agricultores a la Liga de Segunda División Premier". Debate Sinaloa (in Spanish). 21 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Tapachula participará en la Liga Premier del Futbol Mexicano". Diario del Sur (in Spanish). 19 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
- ^ "SON 15 CLUBES EN SERIE B". Liga Premier Magazine (in Spanish). 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
External links
edit- Official website (in Spanish)
- Magazine page (in Spanish)
- League information (in English)