Wigan are back in the Championship after a two-season stint down in League One.

The Latics claimed the League One title in 2021-22 but stability will be the name of the game tis season.

Preston are looking to kick on under Ryan Lowe and this opening day derby will be a decent barometer for where both teams are at this early stage of the season.

Image source, Rex Features

Down, up, down, up, down, up. No, that's not me trying to break my previous record of two press-ups, that's how Rotherham's past six seasons have looked.

The Millers have either been relegated from or promoted to the Championship in each of the past half a dozen campaigns and boss Paul Warne is hopeful this could be the season they bring an end to that run.

Opponents Swansea have retained the services of classy forward Joel Piroe and boss Russell Martin has said he expects them to improve on last season's 15th-placed finish.

These two sides are both expected to be down at the wrong end of the Championship table this campaign.

Blackpool saw boss Neil Critchley unexpectedly walk out in June to take a coaching role under Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa and have turned to Michael Appleton as his replacement.

Paul Ince, who has previously managed the Seasiders, steered the Royals to survival last season and has re-signed club legend Shane Long this summer.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Pride Park

It is the day many Derby fans feared would never come.

It is only a couple of months ago that Chris Kirchner's attempt to buy the club hit the buffers, raising fresh questions about the Rams' entire future.

Lifelong fan and local businessman David Clowes stepped up and whilst expectations around Derby are being played down, it is expected around 30,000 fans will be at Pride Park today for the start of a new era - albeit one in the third tier of the English game for the first time since 1986.

Image source, BBC Sport

Sanny Rudravajhala
Presenter, Squad Goals

Wayne Rooney may have departed but at least there’s still a Derby County to be talking about. The summer sale of the club to David Clowes brings with it the stability that the fans have craved and made last season’s relegation to League One pale into insignificance.

In Rooney’s wake, enter Liam Rosenior. The former assistant is now interim boss and has brought in a number of experienced players. The aim will be to blend them with the young talent that did so admirably last season, but they’ve lost a number of key people, too.

Whether the likes of James Chester, Conor Hourihane and David McGoldrick can cut it in League One on the wrong side of 30, is yet to be seen.

With Sunderland out of the picture, Oxford can rightfully claim the crown of the division’s ‘nearly men’. Play-off heartache of recent seasons was compounded with a really disappointing end to the last campaign in eighth place.

Karl Robinson will be wanting a big start and could be under pressure very quickly if his U's don’t perform. A a lot rests of 22-goal Matty Taylor to test the threadbare Derby backline.

Image source, Getty Images

All 24 League One teams are in action this afternoon, kicking off at 15:00 BST. Expect a lot of eyes to be on Derby County, who start life in the third tier at home to Oxford United after a summer of discontent.

Two teams with top six ambitions are Ipswich and Bolton and they meet on the opening day, while relegated Barnsley travel to Plymouth looking to start what they hope is a journey back up to the Championship.

It's a fight between the west country's two promoted teams as Bristol Rovers host last season's League Two champions Forest Green Rovers, as Exeter City and Port Vale begin their League One campaigns away to Lincoln City and at home to Fleetwood Town.

• Accrington Stanley v Charlton Athletic
• Bristol Rovers v Forest Green Rovers
• Cambridge United v MK Dons
• Cheltenham Town v Peterborough United
• Derby County v Oxford United
• Ipswich Town v Bolton Wanderers
• Lincoln City v Exeter City
• Morecambe v Shrewsbury Town
• Plymouth Argyle v Barnsley
• Port Vale v Fleetwood Town
• Sheffield Wednesday v Portsmouth
• Wycombe Wanderers v Burton Albion

Joe Thompson
Former Rochdale and Tranmere midfielder on Squad Goals

Edgeley Park is the place to be as newly-promoted Stockport County take on Barrow.

County are back in the Football League after 11 years and will be looking to make a statement at home in front of a packed stadium.

The National League champions have made some shrewd signings over the last 12 months, none more so than Fraser Horsfall, Callum Camps and Paddy Madden. The latter has recently been named club captain and the former Fleetwood man will be looking to provide the firepower now he’s back in the EFL.

Barrow, on the other hand will be looking to spoil the party, with Pete Wild’s first competitive game as the Bluebirds' gaffer.

New striker Billy Waters follows Wild from Halifax and will be looking to prove himself. But his manager will certainly have faith in him after bagging 21 goals last season at the West Yorkshire side.

Image source, Rex Features

We've got a bumper afternoon of matches in League Two, with every club in action at three o'clock today.

Despite this being their first campaign back in the EFL in 11 years Stockport County are remarkably one of favourites to go up again this season and mark their return with a home tie against Barrow.

Another side tipped for good things is Bradford, who have a tricky tie at home to Doncaster, as do Salford who host Mansfield, the latter who lost out in the play-off final in May.

Meanwhile, League Two life doesn't look too different so far for relegated AFC Wimbledon who take on fellow League One drop outs Gillingham.

• AFC Wimbledon v Gillingham
• Bradford City v Doncaster Rovers
• Carlisle United v Crawley Town
• Harrogate Town v Swindon Town
• Leyton Orient v Grimsby Town
• Northampton Town v Colchester United
• Rochdale v Crewe Alexandra
• Salford City v Mansfield Town
• Stockport County v Barrow
• Sutton United v Newport County
• Tranmere Rovers v Stevenage
• Walsall v Hartlepool United

Image source, Rex Features

Just in case you'd missed it the EFL season actually started on Friday night at the John Smith's Stadium in Huddersfield.

Vincent Kompany's new-look Burnley, back in the Championship after relegation last season, came out 1-0 winners thanks to Ian Maatsen's first-half strike.

This is the first time since the 2012-13 season that someone other than Sean Dyche has started a season in charge of the Turf Moor outfit.

Kompany's men impressed in the first half with some neat interplay not necessarily associated with Burnley during their time under Dyche.

The Terriers, beaten in last season's play-off final by Nottingham Forest, improved after the break but new gaffer Danny Schofield will have a lot to work on before their trip to Birmingham City next week.

• Blackburn Rovers v QPR
• Blackpool v Reading
• Cardiff City v Norwich City
• Hull City v Bristol City
• Luton Town v Birmingham City
• Millwall v Stoke City
• Rotherham United v Swansea City
• Wigan Athletic v Preston North End
• Middlesbrough v West Bromwich Albion (17:30 BST)

Image source, PA Media

Saturday afternoon.

Where else would you want to be?

For the first time ever the EFL season is starting in July so here we are and here you are.

There's no optimism quite like the opening day is there? Regardless of how the summer has gone you're not a fan unless right now a part of you (no matter how small) thinks that this could be a campaign for the ages.

Thirty minutes until the first EFL Saturday of the season gets under way.

Let's get to it.