Country Mexico Founded 1994 Level on pyramid 2 | Confederation CONCACAF Number of teams 18 Promotion to Liga MX | |
 | ||
The Ascenso MX is the second professional level of the Mexican football league system. The champion of the competition is promoted to Liga MX (top-flight division). The bottom team gets relegated to Segunda División de México (the third tier). It is currently sponsored by BBVA through its Mexican subsidiary BBVA Bancomer, and thus officially known as Ascenso BBVA Bancomer.
Contents
- Sister in law
- History
- Sponsorship
- Television Home matches broadcast rights
- Clubs
- Segunda Division league system champions 19501994
- Titles By Club
- Promotion and relegation
- References
Formerly known as Primera División A (First Division A) the league changed its name and competition format in 2009 to Liga de Ascenso. It was rebranded as Ascenso MX in 2012. The main changes are that clubs now do not need a FMF certification to get promoted and that the competition doesn't use group stages.
Sister in law
History
In 1994, in order to create a premier league, the Mexican Football Federation decided to upgrade the Second Division to "Primera División A" (First Division A) to bring closer together the level of play in the two tiers, Primera and Primera A. The project was under the direction of José Antonio García Rodríguez, president of the top-tier Primera Division at the time. He envisioned the new division to be joined by the best teams of the Segunda and include teams from the United States (Los Angeles Salsa and San Jose Black Hawks expressed desire to join). Upon review, FIFA did not authorize such integration. As a result, the new league was created instead with the best Second Division teams. The 1994-1995 season began with 15 teams: Acapulco, Atlético Celaya, Atlético San Francisco, Atlético Yucatán, Caimanes de Tabasco, Coras, Gallos de Aguascalientes, Halcones de Querétaro, Inter Tijuana, Irapuato, La Piedad, Marte, Pachuca, San Luis and Zacatepec. Cobras de Ciudad Juárez, which would have been the sixteenth team, declined to participate due to financial problems.
During the 2006 tournament it was decided to increase the number of teams from 20 to 24 and it was also decided to form two groups, A and B divided by geographical areas.
In 2009 major changes occurred the most prominent being the name change from Primera Division A to Liga de Ascenso. The league was reduced to 17 teams and eliminated the groups. Starting with the Apertura 2010 season 18 teams participated. In 2012 the league was rebranded as Ascenso MX. The Alebrijes de Oaxaca was the 16th team of Ascenso MX starting 2013-2014 season. The Alebrijes was composed of the former Segunda Division team Tecamachalco which had won ascendency into Ascenso MX in 2012, but did not fulfill infrastructural requirements set by Mexican Football Federation. Club Zacatepec was also promoted to the Ascenso MX taking the spot of Pumas Morelos in August 2013.
From the 2011–2016 Seasons, Ascenso MX did not relegate a team to the Segunda División de México Liga Premier de Ascenso. But on June 6, 2016 the president of the division announced to return to relegating a team to the Segunda División de México Liga Premier de Ascenso for the 2016–17 season after a 5-year absence.
Sponsorship
The league's current sponsor is BBVA Bancomer, thus making the league's official name Ascenso BBVA Bancomer. The official match ball is manufactured by Voit.
Television Home matches broadcast rights
Clubs
The following 18 clubs will compete in Ascenso MX during the 2016–17 season.
Segunda Division – league system champions (1950–1994)
These teams were promoted to Primera Division until 1994 when the league created Primera Division A (Ascenso MX), automatically making Segunda Division the 3rd tier in Mexican football.
Titles By Club
† Teams in the First Division
†† Teams in the Second Division
††† Teams in the Third Division
†††† Defunct teams
Promotion and relegation
† Teams in the Liga MX
†† Teams in the Second Division
††† Teams in Amateur Level
†††† Defunct
Notes: