Mexican Divisional Moves Between First and Second Division

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


About this document

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.