Luton open League One season against AFC Wimbledon

Luton Town dropped out of the Championship in May and were relegated in successive seasons

Relegated Luton Town will open the League One season against promoted AFC Wimbledon, while Cardiff City will host Peterborough United a day later.

The Hatters, who dropped into the third tier after back-to-back relegations, host League Two play-off final winners AFC Wimbledon on Friday, 1 August (20:00 BST).

Plymouth, who were also relegated from the Championship, face Barnsley at home among the first Saturday's fixtures.

League Two title winners Doncaster Rovers begin their season at home to Exeter City, with fellow promoted side Bradford City at home to Wycombe Wanderers and Port Vale starting with a trip to Rotherham United.

Stockport County play Bolton Wanderers in the only League One match on Sunday, 3 August at 12:00 BST.

The first midweek league fixtures of the campaign follow just three weeks later with every League One club playing at 19:45 BST on Tuesday, 19 August.

Next season will be the second year of the English Football League's deal with Sky Sports, meaning more than 1,000 matches will be broadcast.

The 2025-26 season will conclude on Saturday, 2 May 2026.

First round of fixtures in full

Friday, 1 August

Luton Town v AFC Wimbledon (20:00 BST)

Saturday, 2 August

Cardiff City v Peterborough United (12:30 BST)

Blackpool v Stevenage

Bradford City v Wycombe Wanderers

Burton Albion v Mansfield Town

Doncaster Rovers v Exeter City

Huddersfield Town v Leyton Orient

Lincoln City v Reading

Plymouth Argyle v Barnsley

Rotherham United v Port Vale

Wigan Athletic v Northampton Town

Sunday, 3 August

Stockport County v Bolton Wanderers (12:00 BST)

All matches kick-off at 15:00 BST unless stated

Cardiff in League One for first time in 23 years

Cardiff City last played in the third tier in 2003

It has been 23 years since Cardiff last played in the third tier and Wales' capital city has to contend with now being the country's third-ranked club behind Swansea and Wrexham.

Along with Luton, the Bluebirds will be looking for an immediate return to the Championship under new manager Brian Barry-Murphy with rumours of a possible takeover featuring Gareth Bale swirling.

Plymouth also have a new manager in the dugout in Tom Cleverley as they begin life in League One. Argyle travel to Exeter City for the first Devon derby of the campaign on 25 October.

Stockport were the second-most prolific goalscorers in the league last season, scoring more than Wrexham but the Hatters missed out on automatic promotion by five points and then narrowly lost to Leyton Orient in the play-offs on penalties.

They will try again to reach the Championship for the first time since their relegation from the second tier in 2001-02, along with Orient who have not played that high since the 1960s and also fell short in the Wembley play-off final against Charlton in May.

Orient have seen a host of players leave this summer at the end of their loan spells although manager Richie Wellens signed a new deal last week and they travel to Huddersfield Town on Saturday, 2 August.

Bradford renew Huddersfield league rivalry

Bradford face Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield this season in the first league meeting for 19 years

Wigan open their campaign at home to Northampton Town on 2 August, after making one of the most high-profile League One signings of the summer so far, bringing in striker Paul Mullin on loan from Wrexham.

Despite finishing 15th in 2024-25 Wigan will look to extend their winning streak against rivals Bolton, who won for the first time in more than a decade in April during a game which saw Latics boss Ryan Lowe sent off following Chris Forino's winner.

The Latics have won nine of the past 10 meetings between the two and the first derby of the season will take place at Bolton's Toughsheet Community Stadium on Saturday, 20 September with the reverse on Saturday, 17 January.

For the first time since 2006-07, Bradford will meet Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield in the league this season.

Bradford host Huddersfield in the first derby on 13 September, and they will make the short trip to face them away from home on Saturday, 24 January.

Burton meanwhile narrowly avoided the drop from League One last season for the second time in a row, with head coach Gary Bowyer overseeing "nothing short of a miracle" to keep them up by just one point.

They host Mansfield Town in their first match of 2025-26, with Bowyer - who extended his contract with Albion this summer - hoping for more stability this term.