Who will play in League One next season? League Two play-off dates and contenders as Mansfield Town await their new opponents
Mansfield Town will soon learn who the last of their new League One opponents will be for next season.
Stags avoided a dice with relegation towards the end of this season thanks to their impressive run of form, which saw them lose just once in their last 15 League One games. Nigel Clough’s side cracked a tenth-place finish to reward their efforts, earning 65 points along the way to smash last year’s tally of 54.
Mansfield Town will play seven new opponents next season, with the likes of Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday preparing for third tier football.
As for those leaving League One, champions Lincoln City will move up to the Championship, followed by Cardiff City, who earned the second automatic promotion spot. The upcoming play-offs will determine who out of Stockport County, Bradford City, Bolton and Stevenage will clinch the final place.
Exeter City’s fate was confirmed after a dramatic final day of the regular season. Their defeat to Bradford was enough to send them down to League Two with Northampton Town, Rotherham and Port Vale joining them.
But who will be replacing this season’s bottom four? Three candidates have already secured their journey up and we are now waiting on the play-offs to determine the final team.
Who will play in League One next season?
Mansfield Town know six of their seven new opponents for next season already. Those joining from the bottom three of the Championship are Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester and Oxford United. The Foxes have been relegated to League One just ten years after winning the Premier League title.
As for those coming up from League Two, Bromley led the way with their title-winning season, while MK Dons and Cambridge United finished second and third respectively. All that’s left to decide is the fourth and final promoted club.
Salford City, Notts County, Chesterfield and Grimsby Town are all in contention as they await the nail-biting play-offs.
When are the 2025/26 League Two play-offs?
The EFL play-offs will get underway this week across the board, starting with those fighting for a place in the Premier League.
The League Two play-off semi-finals will begin on Sunday, May 10th, starting with Grimsby vs Salford at 3pm for their first leg tie. Chesterfield will take on Notts County later in the day at 6pm. Second legs will commence on Friday, May 15th at 7.15pm and 8pm respectively to determine the finalists.
The League Two play-off final will be held on Monday, May 25th. Timings for each EFL play-off final have not been confirmed yet.