When are the Championship 2024/25 fixtures released as Sunderland await new manager

The Premier League fixtures have been released and all three of Sunderland’s former Championship rivals have been handed challenging returns to the top flight.

Champions Leicester City will round off the first weekend of the new Premier League season when they host Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur at the King Power Stadium on Monday, August 18. That comes just two days after Southampton’s own return to the top tier takes them to Newcastle United for a 3pm kick-off. But it is last year’s Championship runners-up Ipswich Town that have been handed the most daunting opening day clash as they take on Arne Slot’s Liverpool at Portman Road in a game that has been selected for live broadcast at 12.30pm on Saturday, August 17.

For Sunderland supporters, waiting has been something they become accustomed to as their wait for a new permanent manager at the Stadium of Light now stands at 120 days. The wait for the new Championship fixtures won’t last as long as the Black Cats faithful prepare to put together their travel plans for what they will hope will be a much improved campaign after the disappointment of last season.

When does the new Championship season get underway?

Sunderland’s third year back in the Championship will get underway on the weekend of Saturday, August 10. Although that has not officially been confirmed, as the season could begin with a Friday night fixture - as was the case last campaign when Sheffield Wednesday faced Southampton at Hillsborough. A handful of games were also played on the Sunday, they were Leeds United‘s home game with Cardiff City, Coventry City’s visit to Leicester City and Sunderland’s home clash with Ipswich Town.

When are the 2024/25 Championship fixtures released?

Get your diaries out and set those reminders as the Championship, League One and League Two fixtures across all three divisions will be released at 9am on Wednesday, June 26.

When does the 2024-25 Championship season end?

The regular league season will conclude on May 3, 2025, with the play-offs for League Two, League One and the Championship to follow afterwards. The 46 league games will take place across 33 weekends with nine sets of midweek fixtures along with four bank holiday games. The Championship play-off final will be held between May 24-26, with the League One and League Two finals also taking place on that weekend.

Other key dates for 2024/25 season

The Carabao Cup first round will begin in August, with a midweek round of matches between August 13 and 14. The final of the competition will be held at Wembley on Sunday, March 16. It is a slight departure from the norm, with the contest usually held at the end of February.

Deadline day for the summer transfer window will be slightly earlier, with the final day of trading on Friday, August 30 - this date has been reached after consultation with other top leagues across Europe to ensure continuity. The January window will be open from January 1, 2025 but it closes at the slightly later date of Monday, February 3, 2025 at 11pm.