Owen: Improvement on last season, going up #bhafc

Michael Blighe: Not as easy as people reckon #NUFC

Keep your six-word predictions coming - use #bbcefl on Twitter.

Rob Stevens
BBC Sport

Having come so close to promotion last season, the challenge for Brighton will be to improve on the form they showed in 2015-16.

The addition of striker Glenn Murray on a season-long loan from Bournemouth has strengthened the attack, but it will be crucial to hold on to winger Anthony Knockaert, who impressed after joining the Seagulls in January.

Chris Hughton is one of the most experienced managers in the Championship, having won the title with Newcastle in 2009-10, and should be able to deal with the expectations of supporters following last season's near miss.

Image source, Getty Images

2015-16 was a season to remember for Brighton, but it was one which ended in painful circumstances.

Their total of 89 points would have won them the Championship title in three of the previous five seasons, but it was only good enough for third last term.

The Seagulls then lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off semi-finals, condemning them to a 34th season outside England's top division.

Image source, PA

Brighton, led by manager Chris Hughton, have arrived at the iPro Stadium for today's Championship opener against Derby.

BBC Sport has the English Football League covered in 2016-17.

BBC local radio stations across the country will follow all 72 teams, with selected radio commentaries broadcast on BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra.

We have enhanced our offering on the BBC Sport website and app this season - as well as match reports of every single match in the Championship, League One and League Two, we will be providing a dedicated live text service covering just those three divisions every Saturday between now and the final weekend of the campaign in May.

Image source, PA

Team news should start coming in just after 14:00 BST, and there will be a few glances at the make-up of the Chesterfield side at Oxford today, with Ched Evans expected to make his first professional appearance since April 2012.

The 27-year-old striker served half of a five-year sentence after being found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman - a conviction which was quashed by the Court of Appeal in April.

Evans, who faces a retrial over the allegations in October, has been given the chance to rebuild his career by the League One Spireites.

John Taylor: Onwards and upwards without Phil Parkinson #bcafc

Thomas Martin: Nice to renew some old rivalries #STFC

Darren Godfrey: Reading: Not going up, not going down.

Send me your six-word predictions for your club in 2016-17 using #bbcefl on Twitter.

Joe Shennan
BBC Radio Derby

Burton Albion's inaugural second-tier fixture could hardly have been more romantic. A return to the City Ground for manager Nigel Clough, who fittingly steered the Brewers over the League One promotion line last season after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's departure to QPR.

The story of Burton's rise, from the Conference to the Championship in the space of seven years, is testament to the work of chairman Ben Robinson, who has been involved with the club for decades.

It seems remarkable that a side with the fifth-lowest average attendance in League One last season (4,089), and whose record transfer fee prior to this summer was the mere £20,000 paid to Kidderminster for midfielder Russell Penn in 2009, will be competing with clubs such as Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Leeds United this term.

Image source, PA

As well as today's game at Nottingham Forest, Burton are also faced with matches against Bristol City, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County before the end of August.

"The teams we're playing in this spell puts the size of the challenge we're facing into perspective," manager Nigel Clough told BBC Radio Derby.

"You look through the fixtures and wonder where we're getting a point from sometimes, never mind a win.

"It's important that we get off to a good start. It's impossible to predict, that's been the nature of the Championship over the last few seasons."

Image source, Rex Features

Burton Albion fans - pinch yourself, this is really happening. You will be kicking off in the Championship today.

It's been a remarkable rise for the Brewers, who were a non-league side as recently as 2009, and what an introduction to the second tier they have.

Nigel Clough's side start away at Nottingham Forest, who won the European Cup twice under the management of his father, Brian.

Adam Russell: Wombles going up, franchise going down.

Nick Shakir: Watch out for the Wagner Revolution #htafc

Mikey Henalla: One step further this year, please #swfc

Jamie Byrne: Gillingham start strong but then fade.

Ed Dawes
BBC Radio Derby

I'm expecting a possible change of shape under Nigel Pearson. The Leicester City side that he won the Championship with three years ago was packed with pace up front and plenty of width.

The Rams have played a 4-3-3 formation consistently since 2013 - however, in pre-season, Pearson has ventured forward with a 4-4-1-1 and a 4-4-2 diamond. It means the one-way traffic into Chris Martin's feet could change, resulting in the Rams having to find another way of being effective in the final third.

There is less pressure on Derby this term after they came up short when they started as favourites to win the Championship in the past two seasons. That said, a top-six finish will be a minimum for supporters, who have once again invested heavily in their club this summer.

Image source, Getty Images

After a year out of the game, Nigel Pearson is back in football as manager of Derby County.

Pearson led Leicester City to Premier League survival in 2014-15 and then was sacked by the Foxes. We all know what happened next...

Derby have been the Championship's nearly men in recent seasons. Beaten in the play-offs in two of the past three years, substantial investment in the playing squad has so far gone unrewarded.

Bristol City's Ashton Gate home will have four fully operational stands for the first time since April 2014 when it hosts Wigan Athletic in the Championship this afternoon.

Billionaire owner Steve Lansdown has bankrolled the whole thing - and the Robins' towering new two-tier stand has been aptly named after the man himself.

In case you missed it, you can read James Law's interview with Lansdown, carried out following Bristol Rugby's promotion in May, right here.

Danny Lambert: Full of promise, until Massimo intervenes #lufc

Freddy Harper-Davis: Starts bad then romp to promotion #pafc

Wayne Ellis: Ipswich: Another year of wallowing in obscurity.

Bob Barstow: Blackburn: Resigned to eternity in footballing purgatory.

Keep your predictions coming - tell me what you expect from your club this season in six words using #bbcefl on Twitter.

Chris Goreham
BBC Radio Norfolk

It hasn't been quite the summer of change at Carrow Road that many expected, with Nathan Redmond the only major departure and two of the four new signings being goalkeepers.

As with every relegated side, a good start is crucial to blow away the cobwebs of last season.

Fans and manager Alex Neil also share a desire for a new striker and there will be a huge question mark over Norwich until one arrives, after Ross McCormack ended up at Aston Villa.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City have been English football's proverbial yo-yo club in recent years - they have either been promoted or relegated in seven of the past nine seasons.

The Canaries fought bravely against relegation last term, but eventually dropped out of the Premier League with a game remaining.

Manager Alex Neil has managed to retain the majority of his playing squad and has added a couple of new faces, so they're one of their sides expected to be challenging for promotion to the top flight.

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley were last season's Championship winners, going unbeaten in the league from 28 December onwards to finish four points clear of Middlesbrough at the top of the table.

Hull joined the Clarets and Boro in the top flight, beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the play-off final at Wembley.

Which three teams will follow their lead in 2016-17?

Image source, BBC Radio 5 live

On Tuesday, BBC Radio 5 live gathered four EFL managers to preview the 2016-17 season.

George Riley and Mark Clemmit were joined by Leeds head coach Garry Monk, Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal, Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder and Crewe's Steve Davis.

You can listen to the programme again by clicking on the Highlights tab at the top of the page.

Tom: Surely it can't get any worse... #AVFC

Mark Dyson: THE MIGHTY MARINERS. WE ARE BACK.

Paul Chambers: Alex Neil forced out, promoted anyway

Kurt Lewin: Same as with Leicester please, Pearson #dcfc