Scottish Championship
Scottish football league.
The Scottish Championship, officially known as the William Hill Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. Established in July 2013 following the merger of the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League, it sits directly below the Scottish Premiership in the Scottish football league system.
The league consists of 10 teams, each playing 36 matches per season from August to May. Teams play each other four times, twice at home and twice away. At the end of each season, the champion is directly promoted to the Scottish Premiership, swapping places with the bottom club of the Premiership. The clubs finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th enter a two-legged Premiership play-off, with the winner facing the 11th-placed Premiership club for a spot in the top flight.
Relegation from the Championship involves the bottom-ranked club being automatically relegated to Scottish League One, while the 9th-placed club enters a play-off with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th placed clubs from League One.
The Championship has featured several notable clubs, including former Scottish Premiership teams. As of the 2024–25 season, the league includes teams such as Airdrieonians, Ayr United, Dunfermline Athletic, and Raith Rovers. Dundee United are the current champions, having won their second title in the 2023–24 season.
The league has produced some impressive statistics and records. The biggest home win was Heart of Midlothian's 10–0 victory over Cowdenbeath on 28 February 2015. The most points in a season (91) were achieved by Heart of Midlothian in 2014–15, while Brechin City set the record for fewest points (4) in 2017–18.
Broadcasting rights for the Scottish Championship are held by BBC Scotland and BBC ALBA, ensuring coverage of matches throughout the season.