Liga Premier de México

Third level of the football pyramid of professional football league in Mexico

Football league

Liga Premier

Organising body| Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF)
Founded| 1950; 75 years ago (1950), as Segunda División de México
Country| Mexico
Confederation| CONCACAF
Divisions| 2
Number of clubs| 49
Level on pyramid| 3
Promotion to| Liga de Expansión MX
Relegation to| Liga TDP
Domestic cup(s)| Copa Conecta
Current champions| Aguacateros de Peribán
(1st title)
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

Liga Premier is the third level professional division of Mexican football. Formerly known as Segunda División de México (1950–2017). It has 49 participating clubs, 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.

## History

[edit]

The 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

[edit]

In 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]

## Participating clubs

[edit]

Main articles: Serie A de México and Serie B de México

The 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

* Agricultores F.C.[9]
* Durango
* Los Cabos United
* Mexicali
* Mineros de Fresnillo
* Real Apodaca
* Sonora
* Tecos
* Tigres de Álica
* Tritones Vallarta
* UAZ
* UdeG Premier

* Aguacateros CDU
* Aguacateros de Peribán
* Colima
* Gavilanes de Matamoros
* Halcones
* Irapuato
* La Piedad
* Salamanca
* Sporting Canamy
* UAT Premier
* ULMX
* Zacatepec

* Acatlán
* Chilpancingo
* Deportiva Venados
* Texcoco
* Inter Playa del Carmen
* Jaguares de Chiapas
* Montañeses
* Pioneros de Cancún
* Racing de Veracruz
* San Juan de Aragón
* Tapachula Soconusco[10]
* Zitácuaro

On hiatus

* Coras
* Orgullo Reynosa

Below are listed the member clubs of the Serie B for the 2024-25 season.[11]

Serie B clubs

* Atlético Pachuca
* Ayense
* Caja Oblatos
* Cañoneros
* CDM
* Club Calor
* Club de Ciervos
* Cordobés
* Huracanes Izcalli
* Metepec
* Poza Rica
* Real Zamora
* Santiago

On hiatus

* Chilangos
* Deportivo Dongu
* Saltillo
* Yautepec

## Champions and runners-up

[edit]

Main article: List of Mexican football champions

Club  | Titles | Runners-up  | Winning editions

|
|
|

Zacatepec | 5 | 3 | 1950–51, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1977–78, 1983–84
Tampico Madero/Jaiba Brava | 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 | 8 | 1953–54, 1984–85, 2020–21
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
UAEM | 2 | 0 | Apertura 2014, Apertura 2015
Real Zamora | 1 | 3 | 1956–57
Cihuatlán | 1 | 3 | Invierno 2001
La Piedad | 1 | 2 | 1951–52
Unión de Curtidores | 1 | 2 | 1982–83
Cruz Azul Hidalgo | 1 | 2 | 1994–95
Gallos de Aguascalientes | 1 | 2 | Verano 1998
Coras/Deportivo Tepic | 1 | 2 | Apertura 2002
Tampico | 1 | 1 | 1958–59
Nuevo León | 1 | 1 | 1965–66
Laguna | 1 | 1 | 1967–68
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
Mérida/Atlético Yucatán | 1 | 1 | Apertura 2008
Chivas Rayadas | 1 | 1 | Revolución 2011
Murciélagos | 1 | 1 | Apertura 2012
UAZ | 1 | 1 | Apertura 2022
Toluca | 1 | 0 | 1952–53
Nacional | 1 | 0 | 1960–61
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
UAT | 1 | 0 | 1986–87
Potros Neza | 1 | 0 | 1988–89
UTN | 1 | 0 | 1992–93
Tigrillos UANL | 1 | 0 | 1995–96
Tamaulipas | 1 | 0 | Invierno 2000
Astros CDJ | 1 | 0 | Verano 2002
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
Atlético Coatzacoalcos | 1 | 0 | Clausura 2014
Tepatitlán | 1 | 0 | Apertura 2017
Mazorqueros | 1 | 0 | Clausura 2022
Aguacateros de Peribán | 1 | 0 | Apertura 2024
Tapatío | 0 | 5 | –
Poza Rica | 0 | 3 | –
Tecamachalco | 0 | 3 | –
San Sebastián | 0 | 2 | –
Cuautla | 0 | 2 | –
UAQ | 0 | 2 | –
Inter Playa del Carmen | 0 | 2 | –
Veracruz | 0 | 1 | –
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

[edit]

* Football in Mexico
* Mexican football league system
* Mexican Football Federation
* Liga MX
* Liga de Expansión MX
* Ascenso MX
* Liga TDP
* Copa Conecta

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Includes Adrenalina Sports Network
2. ^ includes TVC Deportes 2
3. ^ Between 2009 and 2011 the league was called Liga de Ascenso.
4. ^ a b "Segunda División se convierte en Liga Premier". esto.com.mx. June 15, 2017.
5. ^ 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.
6. ^ Reglamento de Competencia (PDF), Liga Premier, Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, p. 26
7. ^ "¡REGRESA LA SERIE B!". ligapremiermagazine.mx (in Spanish). 29 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
8. ^ "TRES GRUPOS EN SERIE A". Liga Premier Magazine (in Spanish). 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
9. ^ "Oficializan la llegada de Agricultores a la Liga de Segunda División Premier". Debate Sinaloa (in Spanish). 21 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
10. ^ "Tapachula participará en la Liga Premier del Futbol Mexicano". Diario del Sur (in Spanish). 19 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
11. ^ "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)
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