Championship, L1 & L2 26/27 season - key dates & schedule

Already thinking about the next Sky Bet EFL season? There's a World Cup to fit in first - but the key dates are out for the 2026/27 campaign.

When does the 2026/27 EFL season start?

The 2026/27 league season starts on Friday August 14, with Wolves vs Blackburn, live on Sky Sports.

However, the season kicks off with the first round of the Carabao Cup on Friday August 7.

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When does the 2026/27 EFL season end?

The Sky Bet Championship season concludes on Saturday May 1.

Both the Sky Bet League One and League Two seasons conclude on Saturday May 8.

When are the 26/27 EFL fixtures out?

The 2026/27 EFL fixtures were released on Thursday June 25.

Every Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two fixture on the opening weekend will be shown live on Sky Sports.

• Championship: West Ham visit Burnley on opening weekend
• League One: Leicester start at Notts County
• League Two: York, Rochdale return to EFL

How many games will be live on Sky Sports?

Just like in 2025/26, more than 1,000 of the EFL's 1,891 games across the EFL, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy will be broadcast on Sky Sports throughout the 2026/27 season.

Not only that, but every one of the 72 EFL Clubs will be featured live on Sky more than 20 times.

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When does the summer transfer window open?

The summer transfer window opened on Monday June 15 and closes 10 days after the season starts on Tuesday September 1 at 11pm UK time.

When does the winter transfer window open?

The winter transfer window opens on Friday January 1, 2027 and closes on Monday February 1, 2027 at 11pm UK time.

When do the cup competitions start?

As mentioned above, the Carabao Cup will start for EFL clubs on the weekend of August 7-9 but dates for the later rounds have not yet been confirmed.

The round one of the EFL Trophy will start during the week commencing Monday September 21.

The FA Cup dates are also still to be confirmed, though the third round usually takes place in early January.