Ascenso MX, officially known as Ascenso BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, was the second level professional division of Mexican football.[1] Formerly known as Primera División A de México (1994–2009) and then as Liga de Ascenso (2009–2012). The champions of the competition was promoted to Liga MX (top level), and the bottom team was relegated to Liga Premier (third level).
 | |
| Organising body | Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994, as Primera División A de México |
| Folded | 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 | |
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 by Liga de Expansión MX on April 17, 2020.
History
editIn 1994, the FMF upgraded the Segunda 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 and San 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 inaugural 1994–95 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, and Zacatepec. 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. The Apertura 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 relegated Pumas Morelos. [3]
From 2011 to 2016, there was no relegation to the Segunda División de México. On June 6, 2016, returned the relegation for the 2016–17 season. Loros UdeC and Murciélagos 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]
Abolition
editOn April 13, Liga MX and Ascenso MX President Enrique Bonilla announced the termination of the remainder of the Clausura 2020 season. Two reasons were the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic and the league's lack of financial resources. Its U-17 and U-20 youth systems and the Liga MX Femenil are also at risk.[5]
Participating clubs
editThe 2019–20 season had 14 clubs competing.[6] However, the Clausura 2020 tournament had only 12 teams competing after the dissolution of Potros UAEM and Loros UdeC.
| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlante | Cancún, Quintana Roo | Andrés Quintana Roo | 17,289 |
| Cafetaleros | Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas | Víctor Manuel Reyna | 29,001 |
| Celaya | Celaya, Guanajuato | Miguel Alemán Valdés | 23,182 |
| UAT | Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas | Marte R. Gómez | 10,520 |
| UdeG | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Jalisco | 55,020 |
| Oaxaca | Oaxaca City, Oaxaca | Tecnológico de Oaxaca | 14,598 |
| Sinaloa | Culiacán, Sinaloa | Banorte | 20,108 |
| Sonora | Hermosillo, Sonora | Héroe de Nacozari | 18,747 |
| Tampico Madero | Tampico / Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas | Tamaulipas | 19,667 |
| Venados | Mérida, Yucatán | Carlos Iturralde | 15,087 |
| Zacatecas | Zacatecas City, Zacatecas | Carlos Vega Villalba | 20,068 |
| Zacatepec | Zacatepec, Morelos | Agustín "Coruco" Díaz | 24,313 |
Champions and runners-up
edit- Notes
- Clubs currently in the Liga MX.
- Clubs currently in the Liga Premier.
- Clubs currently in the Liga TDP.
- Defunct clubs.
Campeón de Ascenso
edit| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Winning editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinaloa | 2 | 2 | 2003–04, 2016–17 |
| Irapuato | 2 | 1 | 1999–001, 2002–03 |
| Querétaro | 2 | 1 | 2005–06, 2008–09 |
| Necaxa | 2 | 1 | 2009–101, 2015–16 |
| La Piedad | 2 | 0 | 2000–01, 2012–13 |
| San Luis | 2 | 0 | 2001–02, 2004–05 |
| León | 1 | 3 | 2011–12 |
| Puebla | 1 | 1 | 2006–07 |
| UANL | 1 | 0 | 1996–971 |
| Pachuca | 1 | 0 | 1997–98 |
| Unión de Curtidores | 1 | 0 | 1998–99 |
| Indios CDJ | 1 | 0 | 2007–08 |
| Tijuana | 1 | 0 | 2010–11 |
| UdeG | 1 | 0 | 2013–14 |
| BUAP | 1 | 0 | 2016–17 |
| Tapachula | 1 | 0 | 2017–18 |
| Atlético San Luis | 1 | 0 | 2018–191 |
| 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 | – |
- Notes
- Clubs gained automatic promotion as they won both tournaments.
Sponsorship
edit
BBVA México was the league's sponsor, and used the brand name Ascenso BBVA MX. The official match ball is manufactured by Voit.
Promotion and relegation
edit| 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) |
- Notes
- Puebla bought Unión de Curtidores and took over its spot.
- Veracruz gained automatic promotion due to expansion in the Primera División.
- Veracruz bought La Piedad and took over its spot.
- Zacatepec bought Cruz Azul Hidalgo and took over its spot in Ascenso MX.
- Tapachula were not certified to be promoted to Liga MX.
Top scorers
edit
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Nace la Liga de Ascenso". www.femexfut.org.mx. 2009-06-22. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Liga de Ascenso cambia nombre a Ascenso MX". Récord (in Spanish). 4 June 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Nacen los Guerreros de Oaxaca :: Deportes". televisadeportes.esmas.com.
- ^ Elenes, Iván (9 May 2019). "La 'Jaiba Brava' se queda en la Liga de Ascenso MX". ESPN Mexico (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Ascenso MX da por terminado el C2020 por falta de recursos ante el coronavirus". mediotiempo.com.
- ^ Die 18 Mannschaften in der Liga de Ascenso 2010/11 Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine (Spanish; retrieved on May 27, 2010)