The SPFL has today confirmed some key dates for next season, which is the first campaign in the new cycle of UEFA club competitions with an associated increase from six to 10 UEFA league phase matchdays.
The Premiership, Championship, League 1, and League 2 will all kick off on the weekend of August 2/3/4, with the Premiership concluding on the weekend of May 17/18.
Clubs in the Championship, League 1 and League 2 will finish on the first weekend in May before the play-offs get under way.
The expansion of the UEFA club competitions – the league phase of the Champions League and Europa League each run until the end of January – exerts additional pressure on the domestic calendar and means there will be no scheduled Premiership winter break in season 2024/25.
The group stage of the Viaplay Cup will again begin in mid-July, and to enable the competition to be completed before Christmas, the quarter-finals will be scheduled on a weekend due to the lack of available domestic midweeks in the first half of the season.
SPFL Trust Trophy dates will be confirmed in due course, while fixtures for the 2024/25 League season are likely to be published towards the end of June.
SPFL Chief Operating Officer Calum Beattie said: “There is a huge amount to look forward to across all four divisions of the cinch SPFL in the coming months, followed by Scotland’s eagerly-awaited participation at the Euros in Germany this summer.
“However, we know that clubs and fans alike are always keen to plan ahead, and we are pleased to be able to confirm start and end dates for season 2024/25, as well as the Viaplay Cup schedule.
“It is fair to say that the additional slots required for the UEFA club competitions next season have made scheduling more challenging than usual. In particular, there is very limited flexibility within the Premiership fixture calendar, and we are therefore unable to accommodate a scheduled winter break.”
SEASON 2024/25 – KEY DATES
PREMIERSHIP
Fixture round 1
Weekend of August 3/4, 2024
Fixture round 33
Weekend of April 12/13, 2025
Fixture round 38
Weekend of May 17/18, 2025
Premiership play-off final
Thursday May 22 & Sunday May 25, 2025
CHAMPIONSHIP
Fixture round 1
Weekend of August 2/3, 2024
Fixture round 36
Friday May 2, 2025
LEAGUE 1 & LEAGUE 2
Fixture round 1
Saturday August 3, 2024
Fixture round 36
Saturday May 3, 2025
VIAPLAY CUP
Group stage
MD1: Weekend of July 13/14, 2024
MD2: Midweek of July 16/17, 2024
MD3: Weekend of July 20/21, 2024
MD4: Midweek of July 23/24, 2024
MD5: Weekend of July 27/28, 2024
Second round
Weekend of August 17/18, 2024
Quarter-finals
Weekend of September 21/22, 2024
Semi-finals
Weekend of November 2/3, 2024
Final
Sunday December 15, 2024
