The EFL just made a massive change to the Championship play-offs. From next season, six teams will compete instead of four. And here's the kicker – only one club voted against it.
When the vote happened at The Belfry on Thursday, the result was overwhelming. The final tally? 67 votes for, one against, and one abstention. Tranmere Rovers were the only club to say no, while everyone else jumped on board.
The proposal needed 13 Championship votes and 37 total votes to pass. It smashed through both targets easily. Every single Championship club backed it, along with nearly all of League One and Two.
Why Are Clubs So Keen on This Change?
Preston North End chief executive Peter Ridsdale brought the idea back after it was first suggested way back in 2003. The reasoning is simple: more excitement and fewer meaningless matches at the end of the season.
Several club executives spoke off the record about why they supported it. One told me it would mean "more excitement right to the end of the season." Another said it gives "a chance to some non-parachute clubs" to compete.
That's a big deal. Championship clubs are tired of watching relegated Premier League teams bounce straight back up using their parachute money. With six teams in the play-offs, more clubs without those financial advantages get a shot at promotion.
For bettors, this changes everything about end-of-season Championship markets. More teams staying in contention means the play-off spots won't be settled until much later. Expect odds to stay competitive for longer, and dark horse teams could suddenly become live bets in March and April.
How Will the New Format Work?
The Championship is keeping its two-leg semi-finals, unlike the National League which uses single-leg quarter-finals. The higher-seeded team gets home advantage in the second leg. That's crucial – history shows the better-placed team usually wins two-leg ties.
There's a clever twist too. Thanks to Coventry City owner Doug King's suggestion, the third-placed team will play the lowest-ranked team that makes the semi-finals. That's a real advantage for finishing higher in the table.
But here's the interesting bit: sixth-placed teams rarely win promotion anyway. The last time it happened in the Championship was Blackpool in 2010. So maybe the Premier League shouldn't worry too much about Derby County (currently eighth) going up and breaking their own record for the lowest points total.
This follows a trend across major sports. The NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB have all expanded their play-offs in recent years. Major League Soccer now sends 18 of 29 teams to the play-offs. Football was bound to follow eventually.
What's next? Probably League One and Two getting six-team play-offs too, though that might wait until after 2029. And don't be surprised if we eventually see three teams going up from the National League to League Two.
Once you add elimination rounds, they never go away. That's just how modern sport works.
