What is the Championship?
The Championship is the second tier of English football — the division directly below the Premier League. It is one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, with 24 clubs all fighting for three promotion places. The top two clubs go up automatically; the clubs finishing 3rd through 6th enter a play-off competition, with the winner earning the final promotion spot. At the other end, the bottom three are relegated to League One.
Want to know more? See our Championship Explained page.
The Champions: Coventry City
Coventry City won the Championship title in 2025/26, topping the table with 95 points. It is a remarkable story — Coventry were once a Premier League club (they spent 34 consecutive years in the top flight before 2001) and have been working their way back ever since. They return to the top flight for the first time in 25 years.
Automatic Promotion: Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town finished second and also went up automatically. Like Coventry, they’re a club with a rich history returning to the top flight — Ipswich were European champions in 1981 and English champions in 1962. After years in the lower leagues, their return to the Premier League continues.
The Play-Off Winners: Hull City
Hull City won the Championship play-offs, beating their semi-final opponents and then winning the final at Wembley to earn promotion. The play-off final is nicknamed “the most valuable game in football” — the difference in revenue between playing in the Championship and the Premier League can be worth over £150 million over a few years.
The Spygate Scandal — Southampton's Chaotic Season
The biggest talking point of the Championship season was the Southampton Spygate scandal, which rocked the division. Southampton — relegated from the Premier League the previous season — had been one of the favourites for promotion. They finished fourth in the final league table, which would normally have qualified them for the play-offs.
But in May 2026, the EFL charged Southampton with misconduct after it emerged that a club analyst had secretly filmed opposition training sessions on three separate occasions — against Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough. When confronted with the evidence, Southampton’s club admitted guilt. They were expelled from the play-offs.
Middlesbrough — who would have missed out on the play-offs entirely if Southampton had been allowed to compete — were reinstated in their place. Southampton’s dramatic expulsion came days before the semi-finals were due to start.
This is a big story with a lot of detail. Read our full Spygate article for the complete timeline, the people involved, and what it means for the Championship.
The Three Clubs Coming Down
Coming down from the Premier League to the Championship for 2025/26 were West Ham United, Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers — the three clubs relegated from the Premier League this season.
