Liga de Ascenso

Full Name: Liga de Ascenso
Founded: 1994
Level: 2
Number of Teams: 18

Official Website: femexfut.org.mx

Description:

Before the 1994-95 season in Mexican football a new second division was created between the Primera División and the (previously second-tier) Segunda División - the Primera División A. While many of the clubs are independent entities many are also affiliated to clubs in the Primera and act as feeder clubs to the bigger team. The league utilized a number of rather complex formats over the years but has streamlined for the 2009-10 season. The number of teams has been reduced from 27 to 18 and the groups have been eliminated. Just as important the league has changed names, now being known as the Liga de Ascenso (Promotion League).

Format:

The Liga de Ascenso plays two championships per year, the Torneo Apertura (Opening Tournament) which runs from July to December and the Torneo Clausura (Closing Tournament) which runs from January to May. In each tournament the 18 teams play each other once - if a team is home in a fixture in the Apertura then they're away in the corresponding fixture in the Clausura. The top seven teams qualify for the playoffs in each tournament, with the first place team going directly into the semifinals. The remaining six teams start at the quarterfinal stage. All playoff series are home and away. The winners of the two tournament playoffs play a home and away series for a spot in the next season's Primera División. If one teams win both tournaments then they automatically qualify.

Relegation is determined on average points per game obtained over the last three years (effectively six tournaments). The bottom team in the relegation table goes down to the third-tier Segunda División.

Liga de Ascenso Map: