The 2025/26 Championship season kicks off with Birmingham vs Ipswich and Wrexham's return to the second tier, as promotion favourites like Ipswich, Southampton, and Leicester prepare for a fiercely competitive campaign.
The 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season will kick off with a bang as Birmingham City host Ipswich Town under the lights on Friday, August 8, live on Sky Sports.
All eyes will be on Birmingham and their "Hollywood" NFL owner Tom Brady as they look to make a statement against Ipswich in a clash that sees last season’s League One champions meet a side looking to bounce straight back from top-flight relegation.
Another headline-grabbing fixture follows on Saturday, when Southampton welcome Wrexham to St Mary’s for a lunchtime showdown.
It's Wrexham’s first appearance in the Championship since 1982, a milestone moment for the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned club after three successive promotions.
With the full fixture list now confirmed, attention quickly turns to the promotion race.
Relegated trio Ipswich, Leicester, and Southampton are among the early favourites, but with ambitious clubs like Wrexham and Sheffield United also in the mix, the battle for a place in the Premier League promises to be as unpredictable as ever.
Championship Fixtures
The following games are the opening week fixtures in the Championship for the 2025/26 season.
Friday, August 8
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Birmingham vs Ipswich – 8:00pm
Saturday, August 9
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Southampton vs Wrexham – 12:30pm
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Charlton vs Watford – 12:30pm
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Coventry vs Hull – 12:30pm
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Middlesbrough vs Swansea – 3:00pm
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Norwich vs Millwall – 3:00pm
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Oxford vs Portsmouth – 3:00pm
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QPR vs Preston – 3:00pm
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Stoke vs Derby – 3:00pm
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West Brom vs Blackburn – 3:00pm
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Sheff Utd vs Bristol City – 5:30pm
Sunday, August 10
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Leicester vs Sheff Wed – 4:30pm
Championship Promotion Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ipswich | 7/5 |
| Southampton | 19/10 |
| Sheffield United | 5/2 |
| Birmingham | 11/4 |
| Middlebrough | 4/1 |
| Coventry | 4/1 |
| Leicester | 9/2 |
| West Brom | 7/1 |
| Norwich | 7/1 |
| Wrexham | 7/1 |
Who are the favourites to be promoted from the Championship?
Ipswich Town are the 7/5 favourites with Betway to secure promotion from the Championship in 2025/26, as they look to bounce back from Premier League relegation at the first time of asking.
Despite finishing 19th last season with just 22 points, Kieran McKenna’s side remain highly rated, having stormed to promotion from this level in 2023/24 with 96 points.
They’ve lost forward Liam Delap to Chelsea, but their strong core remains and McKenna’s track record make them serious contenders to return to the top flight.
They face newly promoted Birmingham in their opening fixture as they look to get their season off to a flying start.
Southampton are second favourites for promotion at 19/10 with Virgin Bet, following their dramatic fall from the Premier League where they finished bottom with just 12 points.
Now under the guidance of Will Still, who took over from Russell Martin in late 2024, the Saints will be aiming for a swift return to the top flight.
