 | |
| Organising body | Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994; 31 years ago (1994),as Primera División A de México |
| Folded | 2020; 5 years ago (2020) |
| Country | Mexico |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Number of clubs | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Liga MX |
| Relegation to | Liga Premier |
| Domestic cup(s) | Copa MX Supercopa MX |
| Last champions | Oaxaca (2nd title) |
| Most championships | Sinaloa León Irapuato Necaxa (4 titles each) |
| Website | ascensomx |
| Current:2019–20 Ascenso MX season | |
Ascenso MX, also known asAscenso BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, was a professionalassociation football league inMexico and the second level of theMexican football league system.[1] Formerly known asPrimera División A de México (1994–2009) and then asLiga de Ascenso (2009–2012).The champions of the competition was promoted toLiga MX (top level), and the bottom team was relegated toLiga Premier (third level).
In 2012, the league rebranded its name and competition format as Ascenso MX, the major changes (clubs do not need a FMF certification to be promoted and that the competition no longer used group stages). Ascenso MX was replaced byLiga de Expansión MX on April 17, 2020.
In 1994, theFMF upgraded theSegunda División de México to Primera División A de México to bring closer the level of play in the two divisions. The project was under the direction of José Antonio García Rodríguez, then president of the then top level Primera División. He envisioned the new division to be joined by the best teams of the Segunda División and include teams from the United States (Los Angeles Salsa andSan Jose Black Hawks expressed a desire to join). FIFA declined the integration but established a new league with the best Segunda División sides. The founding clubs of the inaugural1994–95 season were:Acapulco,Atlético Celaya,Atlético San Francisco,Atlético Yucatán,Caimanes de Tabasco,Coras de Tepic,Gallos de Aguascalientes,Halcones de Querétaro,Inter Tijuana,Irapuato,Reboceros de La Piedad,Marte,Pachuca,San Luis, andZacatepec.Cobras de Ciudad Juárez declined to participate due to financial problems.
In 2006, the number of teams increased from 20 to 24, and geographically separated into two groups for preliminary competition (A and B).
In 2009, the major changes were: the name change from Primera División A to Liga de Ascenso. The league was reduced to 17 teams and the groups were eliminated. TheApertura 2010 tournament had 18 teams participating. In 2012 the league was rebranded as Ascenso MX.[2]Alebrijes de Oaxaca was the 16th team of Ascenso MX in 2013. Alebrijes was partly formed by consolidating Segunda División side Tecamachalco which had won promotion to Ascenso MX in 2012, but did not fulfill infrastructural requirements set by the Mexican Football Federation. In August 2013,Zacatepec was promoted to Ascenso MX in place of relegatedPumas Morelos.[3]
From 2011 to 2016, there was no relegation to theSegunda División de México. On June 6, 2016, returned the relegation for the 2016–17 season.Loros UdeC andMurciélagos were relegated in the next two seasons. In 2018–19 season,C.D.S. Tampico Madero finished last in the relegation table, but remained in Ascenso MX after paying a bail.[4]
On April 13, Liga MX and Ascenso MX President Enrique Bonilla announced the termination of the remainder of the Clausura 2020 season. Two reasons were the2019–20 coronavirus pandemic and the league's lack of financial resources. Its U-17 and U-20 youth systems and theLiga MX Femenil are also at risk.[5]
The2019–20 season had 14 clubs competing.[6] However, the Clausura 2020 tournament had only 12 teams competing after the dissolution ofPotros UAEM andLoros UdeC.
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Winning editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinaloa | 2 | 2 | 2004,2017 |
| Irapuato | 2 | 1 | 20001,2003 |
| Querétaro | 2 | 1 | 2006,2009 |
| Necaxa | 2 | 1 | 20101,2016 |
| La Piedad | 2 | 0 | 2001,2013 |
| San Luis | 2 | 0 | 2002,2005 |
| León | 1 | 3 | 2012 |
| Puebla | 1 | 1 | 2007 |
| UANL | 1 | 0 | 19971 |
| Pachuca | 1 | 0 | 1998 |
| Unión de Curtidores | 1 | 0 | 1999 |
| Indios CDJ | 1 | 0 | 2008 |
| Tijuana | 1 | 0 | 2011 |
| UdeG | 1 | 0 | 2014 |
| BUAP | 1 | 0 | 2017 |
| Tapachula | 1 | 0 | 2018 |
| Atlético San Luis | 1 | 0 | 20191 |
| Mérida/Atlético Yucatán | 0 | 2 | – |
| Tigrillos UANL | 0 | 1 | – |
| Gallos de Aguascalientes | 0 | 1 | – |
| Veracruz | 0 | 1 | – |
| UAT | 0 | 1 | – |
| Toros Neza | 0 | 1 | – |
| Tecos | 0 | 1 | – |
| Juárez | 0 | 1 | – |
| Oaxaca | 0 | 1 | – |
BBVA México was the league's sponsor, and used the brand nameAscenso BBVA MX. The official match ball is manufactured byVoit.
| Club | Promotions to Primera División/Liga MX | Relegations to Segunda División/Liga Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Pachuca | 2 (1995–96,1997–98) | – |
| La Piedad | 2 (2000–01,2012–133) | – |
| San Luis | 2 (2001–02,2004–05) | – |
| Sinaloa | 2 (2003–04,2014–15) | – |
| Querétaro | 2 (2005–06,2008–09) | – |
| Necaxa | 2 (2009–10,2015–16) | – |
| Irapuato | 2 (1999–00,2002–03) | 1 (2005–06) |
| Celaya | 1 (1994–95) | – |
| UANL | 1 (1996–97) | – |
| Unión de Curtidores | 1 (1998–991) | – |
| Veracruz | 1 (2001–022) | – |
| Puebla | 1 (2006–07) | – |
| Indios CDJ | 1 (2007–08) | – |
| León | 1 (2011–12) | – |
| UdeG | 1 (2013–14) | – |
| BUAP | 1 (2016–17) | – |
| Atlético San Luis | 1 (2018–19) | – |
| Tapachula | 1 (2017–185) | – |
| Tijuana | 1 (2010–11) | 1 (2007–08) |
| Tabasco | – | 1 (1994–95) |
| Coras | – | 1 (1995–96) |
| Inter de Tijuana | – | 1 (1996–97) |
| Marte | – | 1 (1997–98) |
| Atlético San Francisco | – | 1 (1998–99) |
| Gavilanes de Nuevo Laredo | – | 1 (2002–03) |
| Trotamundos de Tijuana | – | 1 (2003–04) |
| Altamira | – | 1 (2004–05) |
| Dorados de Tijuana | – | 1 (2005–06) |
| Monarcas Morelia "A" | – | 1 (2006–07) |
| Pumas Morelos | – | 1 (2012–13) |
| Zacatepec | – | 1 (2013–14)4 |
| UdeC | – | 1 (2016–17) |
| Murciélagos | – | 1 (2017–18) |
| Halcones de Querétaro | – | 2 (1999–00, 2000–01) |
| Jaguares de Tapachula | – | 2 (2003–04, 2008–09) |
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