When Blackpool will discover their League One fixtures - and the other key dates during the 2025/26 campaign
The fixtures for the 2025/26 EFL campaign will be released this week - with Blackpool starting their pre-season preparations on the same day.
Blackpool will discover their fixtures for the 2025/26 League One season on Thursday (June 26).
The release date coincides with the Seasiders’ first day of pre-season training, as the players report back to Squires Gate for gym work and testing.
Supporters will discover the fixtures at 12pm, on what is set to be a busy few hours of news.
Later in the day the draws for the EFL Trophy group stages (2.30pm) and the first round of the EFL Cup (4.30pm) will also take place live on Sky Sports News.
Here’s a look at some of the key dates for the 2025/26 season:
Opening weekend (August 1-3)
League One and League Two both get started on the same weekend, with the opening round of fixtures for the two divisions taking place between August 1 and August 3.
The Championship gets underway the following week, while the Premier League only kicks off on August 15.
EFL Cup first round
Blackpool, alongside the other teams in the third and fourth tier, will have two league outings before switching their attention to the EFL Cup, with the first round of the competition taking place on the week commencing August 11.
EFL Trophy group stages
Elsewhere, the first round of group stage fixtures for the EFL Trophy will take place on the week commencing September 1.
Blackpool have already been placed in a group with Barrow and Tranmere Rovers, with just the Premier League U21s side still to be added in Thursday’s draw.
The final of that competition is scheduled to take place at Wembley on Sunday April 12.
Deadline Day
As well as marking the week that the EFL Trophy gets underway, September 1 is also the day the summer transfer window comes to a close.
The deadline for clubs to do their business is 7pm this year.
FA Cup round dates
Earlier this month, the round dates for next season’s FA Cup were confirmed.
As usual, teams in League One and League Two will enter the competition in the first round - with the fixtures due to take place on the weekend of November 1/2.
Meanwhile, there’ll also be a gap in the EFL schedule for the second round on December 6/7.
Final games (May 2-3)
All three EFL divisions will end their regular seasons on the weekend of 2/3 May 2026.
Play-off dates
The three EFL play-off finals will take place across the same bank holiday weekend in the following order: Championship (May 23), League One (May 24), and League Two (May 25).
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