In 1950 the Second Division was founded and the former Liga Mayor
becomes the First Division. In 1950-51 the First Division has 12 teams:
América, Atlante, Atlas, Guadalajara, León, Marte, Necaxa, Oro, Puebla,
San Sebastián, Tampico and Veracruz. Each year the last team in the
First Division is relegated to Second Division, and the champion of the
Second Division is promoted to First Division. Since 1994-95 the name
of the second level was changed to First A Division (Primera A), the
Second Division (Segunda División) now constitutes the third level.
Promoted Relegated
1950-51 Zacatepec San Sebastián
1951-52 La Piedad Veracruz
1952-53 Toluca La Piedad
1953-54 Irapuato Atlas
1954-55 Atlas Marte
Zamora and Cuautla were promoted to make a 14 teams First Division
1955-56 Monterrey Zamora
After this season Puebla folded and there were 13 teams in First Division
1956-57 Zamora Monterrey
Morelia is promoted to replace Puebla
1957-58 Celaya Tampico
1958-59 Tampico Cuautla
1959-60 Monterrey Zamora
1960-61 Nacional Celaya
1961-62 UNAM Zacatepec
1962-63 Zacatepec Tampico
1963-64 Cruz Azul none
Veracruz is promoted to make a 16 teams First Division
1964-65 Ciudad Madero Nacional
1965-66 Nuevo León Zacatepec
1966-67 Pachuca Ciudad Madero
1967-68 Laguna Morelia
1968-69 Torreón Nuevo León
1969-70 Zacatepec none
Puebla is promoted to make a 18 teams First Division
1970-71 San Luis Atlas
After this season Necaxa changed its name to Atlético Español
1971-72 Atlas Irapuato
1972-73 Ciudad Madero Pachuca
1973-74 UANL San Luis
Unión de Curtidores and Atlético Potosino are promoted to make a
20 teams First Division. Universidad de Guadalajara bought Torreón.
1974-75 UAG Ciudad Madero
1975-76 San Luis Atlante
1976-77 Atlante Zacatepec
Tampico bought San Luis
1977-78 Zacatepec Atlas
Dep. Neza bought Laguna
1978-79 Atlas Veracruz
1979-80 Atletas Campesinos Jalisco
1980-81 Morelia Unión de Curtidores
1981-82 Oaxtepec Tampico
Tampico-Madero bought A. Campesinos, Atlético Español changed back to Necaxa
1982-83 Unión de Curtidores Zacatepec
1983-84 Zacatepec Unión de Curtidores
Angeles bought Oaxtepec
1984-85 Irapuato Zacatepec
1985-86 Cobras none
1986-87 UAT León, Cobras
1987-88 Ciudad Juarez UAT
UAT bought Dep. Neza and Santos bought Ángeles
1988-89 Potros Neza Atlético Potosino
Veracruz bought Potros Neza
1989-90 León Atlante
Queretaro bought Tampico-Madero
1990-91 Atlante Irapuato
1991-92 Pachuca Ciudad Juarez
1992-93 UTN Pachuca
UTN changed its name to Toros Neza, Toros Neza played its games with name Toros Hidalgo
1993-94 Tampico-Madero Queretaro
Universidad de Guadalajara folded. 19 teams in First Division. Toros Hidalgo back to Neza
1994-95 Celaya UAT and Tampico-Madero
1995-96 Pachuca UANL
1996-97 Tigres Pachuca
Winter 96 Champs': Tigres
Summer 97 Champs': Tigres
1997-98 Pachuca Veracruz
Winter 97 Champs': Pachuca playoff (aggregate)
Summer 98 Champs': U de NL Pachuca 4-2 UdeNL
1998-99 U. de Curtidores [1] Puebla
Winter 98 Champs': Yucatán playoff (aggregate)
Summer 99 Champs': Unión de Curtidores Yucatán 1-7 Unión de Curtidores
1999-00 Irapuato Toros Neza
Winter 99 Champs': Irapuato
Summer 00 Champs': Irapuato
2000-01 La Piedad none [2]
Winter 99 Champs': Aguascalientes playoff (aggregate)
Summer 00 Champs': La Piedad Aguascalientes 2-4 La Piedad
2001-02 San Luis, Veracruz León [3]
Winter 01 Champs': Veracruz playoff (aggregate) Veracruz 2-4 San Luis
Irapuato moved to Veracruz (Tiburones Rojos)
Summer 02 Champs': San Luis
La Piedad moved to Querétaro, Tiburones Rojos moved to Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Jaguares)
2002-03 Irapuato Cuernavaca
Winter 02 Champs': Irapuato playoff (aggregate) Irapuato 3-1 León
Celaya moved to Cuernavaca
Summer 03 Champs': León
Necaxa moved to Aguascalientes
2003-04 Culiacán San Luis
Apertura 03 Champs': Culiacán playoff (aggregate) Culiacán 4-3 León
Clausura 04 Champs': León
Irapuato and Querétaro folded
2004-05 San Luis Puebla
Apertura 04 Champs': San Luis playoff (aggregate)
Clausura 05 Champs': Querétaro San Luis 3-2 Querétaro
2005-06 Querétaro Sinaloa playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 05 Champs': Puebla Querétaro 5-1 Puebla
Clausura 06 Champs': Querétaro
2006-07 Puebla Querétaro playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 06: Champs': Puebla Puebla 4-3 Sinaloa
Clausura 07: Champs': Sinaloa
Atlante moved to Cancún
2007-08 Indios Cd. Juárez Veracruz playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 07 Champs': Indios Cd. Juárez Indios 3-2 León
Clausura 08 Champs': León
2008-09 Querétaro Necaxa playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 08 Champs': Querétaro Querétaro 2-2 Mérida [5-4pen]
Clausura 09 Champs': Mérida
2009-10 Necaxa Indios Cd. Juárez
Apertura 09 Champs': Necaxa
Bicent. 10 Champs': Necaxa
2010-11 Tijuana Necaxa playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 10 Champs': Tijuana Tijuana 2-1 Irapuato
Clausura 11 Champs': Irapuato
2011-12 León Estudiantes playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 11 Champs': Correcaminos u.A.T. León 6-2 Correcaminos U.A.T.
Clausura 12 Champs': León
2012-13 La Piedad Querétaro playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 12 Champs': La Piedad La Piedad 1-1 Neza FC [5-3pen]
Clausura 13 Champs': Neza FC
Jaguares moved to Querétaro; San Luis moved to Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Chiapas FC) and
La Piedad moved to Veracruz
2013-14 Leones Negros Atlante playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 13 Champs': Leones Negros Leones Negros 1-1 Estudiantes UAG [4-3pen]
Clausura 14 Champs': Estudiantes UAG
2014-15 Dorados Leones Negros playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 14 Champs': Necaxa Dorados 3-1 Necaxa
Clausura 15 Champs': Dorados
2015-16 Necaxa Dorados playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 15 Champs': FC Juárez Necaxa 3-0 FC Juárez
Clausura 16 Champs': Necaxa
2016-17 Lobos BUAP Jaguares playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 16 Champs': Dorados Lobos BUAP 3-2 Dorados
Clausura 17 Champs': Lobos BUAP
2017-18 none none [4] playoff (aggregate)
Apertura 17 Champs': Alebrijes Cafetaleros 6-3 Alebrijes
Clausura 18 Champs': Cafetaleros
2018-19 Atl. de San Luis none [5]
Apertura 18 Champs': A. de San Luis
Clausura 19 Champs': A. de San Luis
2019-20 none none [6]
Apertura 19 Champs': Alebrijes
Clausura 20 Champs': none
Monarcas Morelia moved to Mazatlán
2020-21 none none [6]
Apertura 20 Champs': Tampico Madero
Clausura 21 Champs': Tepatitlán
2021-22 none none [6]
Apertura 21 Champ's: Atlante
Clausura 22 Champ's: Atlético Morelia
2022-23 none none [6]
Apertura 22 Champ's: Atlante
Clausura 23 Champ's: Tapatío
2023-24 none none [6]
Apertura 23 Champ's: Cancún FC
Clausura 24 Champ's: Atlante
[1] Puebla bought the Unión de Curtidores franchise.
[2] Atlante finished last at 1st level but were allowed to play off against
Veracruz for an additional place, which they won 4-1 on aggregate.
Veracruz then bought the Irapuato franchise and played as "Tiburones
Rojos".
[3] León finished last at 1st level and were allowed to play off against
Veracruz for an additional place, which Veracruz won 3-1 on aggregate.
[4] Lobos B.U.A.P. finished last in the relegation table, but was allowed
to remain at first level due to Cafetaleros not being a certified team;
in compensation Lobos B.U.A.P. paid 6 million USD.
[5] For expansion to 19 teams Veracruz (last in relegation table) paid a
6 million USD and remained at first level.
FC Juárez bought the license of Lobos B.U.A.P. and was promoted.
Lobos B.U.A.P. take the place of FC Juárez in second level but its
franchise was frozen one year.
[6] Due to exclusion of Veracruz after Apertura 2019 tournament there was no relegation
Tournament Clausura 2020 abandoned due to Covid-19 pandemic, no championship awarded.
From 2020-21 to 2023-24 season promotion / relegation between first and second level
suspended.
Abbreviations:
UNAM = Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México
UAG = Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
UAT = Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas
UANL = Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo León
UTN = Universidad Tecnologica de Neza
Prepared by Héctor Villa Martínez and maintained by Emmanuel Castro Serna and Erik Francisco Lugo for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Authors: Héctor Villa Martínez,
Emmanuel Castro Serna and Erik Francisco Lugo
Last updated: 3 Jul 2024
(C) Copyright Héctor Villa Martínez,
Emmanuel Castro Serna, Erik Francisco Lugo and
RSSSF 1995/2024
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
acknowledgement is given to the authors. All rights reserved.