England · Tier 2 · 24 clubs
Championship
In US-sports termsLike Triple-A baseball if Triple-A had NFL-sized crowds and TV money — plus a single playoff final worth nine figures to the winner.
What it is
The second tier. 24 clubs, 46 games, widely called the most brutal league in the sport.
How you get in
Relegated from the Premier League or promoted from League One.
What it feeds
Top 2 go up automatically. 3rd–6th enter the playoffs — the final at Wembley is routinely called the richest single match in world football (a nine-figure revenue swing for the winner). Bottom 3 drop to League One.
Coventry's long-time home — and the launchpad. Every Championship club is also in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup every season.