The Championship often has a claim for being pound-for-pound the most entertaining division in Europe and the battle for promotion to the Premier League once again went to the wire.
Leeds United’s shock 4-0 loss to QPR on April 26 meant that Leicester City were guaranteed an automatic promotion spot. The 2015/16 champions are back in the big time, and will be heading there as champions of the second tier.
Former Manchester United assistant coach Kieran McKenna steered Ipswich Town to the incredible achievement of back-to-back promotions, meaning the Tractor Boys will compete in England’s top flight for the first time in 22 years.
It leaves more fancied teams such as Leeds and Southampton to contest the playoffs for the final promotion spot.
The Sporting News takes a look at the playoff picture, and how promotion works.
MORE: Premier League table 2023/24 updated standings
EFL Championship 2023/24 table and promotion picture
Leicester and Ipswich walked off with the big prize of automatic promotion, whereas teams placed between third and sixth will compete in a playoff. More on that below.
Championship table after final matches on May 4, 2024
| Pos. | Team | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1. | Leicester City | 46 | 31 | 4 | 11 | 89 | 41 | +48 | 97 |
| 2. | Ipswich Town | 46 | 28 | 12 | 6 | 92 | 57 | +35 | 96 |
| Top two are promoted automatically | |||||||||
| 3. | Leeds United | 46 | 27 | 9 | 11 | 81 | 43 | +38 | 90 |
| 4. | Southampton | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 87 | 63 | +24 | 87 |
| 5. | West Brom | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 70 | 47 | +23 | 75 |
| 6. | Norwich City | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 79 | 64 | +15 | 73 |
| Teams from 3rd to 6th qualify for playoffs | |||||||||
| 7. | Hull City | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 68 | 60 | +8 | 70 |
How does promotion to the Premier League work?
Promotion from the Championship to the Premier League is a highly competitive process where three of the best teams can gain English top-flight status.
At the end of each season, the top two teams in the Championship table automatically secure promotion to England’s top division.
The third promotion spot is determined through a playoff system involving the teams finishing third to sixth.
The top two of those teams are seeded, therefore Leeds will play sixth-placed Norwich and fourth-placed Southampton take on West Brom over two legs. The Leeds and Southampton will have the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
The winners then meet in the playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, May 26.
Extra time and penalties will be used in the semifinal second legs and final if they teams cannot be separated.
The team that wins the playoff final claims the final promotion spot, earning the opportunity to compete against the top clubs in the country in the Premier League in 2024/25
Promotion not only brings financial rewards but also elevates a club’s status and opens doors to greater exposure on a national and international level, while making teams an attractive transfer destination for players at home and abroad.
Remaining fixtures for Leeds, Leicester and Ipswich
With the table being incredibly tight at the top, here’s a look at the remaining fixtures for those fighting for the automatic promotion places:
| Leeds | Result | Leicester | Result | Ipswich | Result |
| Watford (A) | D 2-2 | Bristol City (A) | L 1-0 | Blackburn (A) | W 0-1 |
| Hull City (H) | W 3-1 | Norwich (H) | W 3-1 | Southampton (H) | W 3-2 |
| Coventry (A) | L 2-1 | Birmingham City (H) | W 2-1 | Norwich (A) | L 1-0 |
| Sunderland (H) | D 0-0 | Millwall (A) | L 1-0 | Watford (H) | D 0-0 |
| Blackburn (H) | L 1-0 | Plymouth (A) | L 1-0 | Middlesbrough (H) | D 1-1 |
| Middlesbrough (A) | W 4-3 | West Brom (H) | W 2-1 | Hull City (A) | D 3-3 |
| QPR (A) | L 4-0 | Southampton (H) | W 5-0 | Coventry (A) | W 2-1 |
| — | Preston (A) | W 3-0 | — | ||
| — | — | — | |||
| Southampton (H) | L 2-1 | Blackburn (H) | L 2-0 | Huddersfield (H) | W 2-0 |
