EFL consider making radical changes to the calendar next season

The English Football League (EFL) are reportedly considering making radical changes to the calendar next season.

According to the Daily Mail , the EFL’s chiefs could decide to start next season in July with a round of League Cup games.

The league’s bosses are mulling over a number of options amid a congested fixture calendar.

The 2025-26 League One and League Two seasons kicked off on August 1, with the Championship and Premier League campaigns starting on August 8 and August 15 respectively. The League Cup fixtures got underway on the week commencing August 11.

The EFL bosses are now considering bringing the start date forward by moving the League Cup opening round to the first weekend of August. And if games were to happen on Friday, the season would effectively start on July 31.

This is one of many options being discussed by the EFL board and a decision will only be made after extensive consultation with clubs.

The matter is further complicated by the fact that next September will see a three-week international break, robbing more time to ensure cup games are played before English teams enter European competitions.

The EFL are also considering adding an eliminator round to the Championship play-offs , which would increase the number of teams to six.

The proposal is a similar format to the one used by the National League, with the lower-placed teams playing eliminators before the winners face the teams which finished third and fourth in two-legged ties.

However, the plan has not been presented to the Football Association Board, and formal voting at EFL level has not happened either.

Several Championship clubs have been very receptive to this idea but not the Premier League due to concerns about diluting the quality of its competition.