By Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has released its calendar of activities for the 2026/2027 season, with the new campaign scheduled to commence between August 28 and 30, 2026.
The kick-off date follows a series of pre-season programmes designed to ensure clubs meet operational, licensing, and administrative requirements ahead of the new season.
According to the calendar, the pre-season activities will begin in June with club licensing, settlement of outstanding salary obligations to players and coaches, stadium and facility inspections, as well as compliance checks on participating clubs.
The league will also conduct its Annual General Meeting, official draws, and the Super 4/6 tournament in Lagos before the commencement of the new season.
Player registration and licensing are scheduled to take place in July and August, while the first transfer window will run from July 15 to September 14.
Clubs are expected to complete player registration by August 22, ahead of the opening weekend of the season.
The 38-match league campaign will run from late August 2026 until May 30, 2027.
The first half of the season will end with Matchday 19 in December, followed by a mid-season break from December 23 to January 6.
The second transfer window will open in January 2027 before league action resumes.
The calendar also makes room for the President Federation Cup, with state playoffs scheduled for early February 2027.
The national competition will continue through the Round of 64, Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals before the final stages are concluded in May.
The NPFL also revealed its long-term scheduling plan, noting that while the 2025/2026 season will end on May 24, 2026, the 2026/2027 season is expected to conclude on May 30, 2027.
The league added that the 2027/2028 season is tentatively scheduled to begin between August 27 and 29, 2027, as part of efforts to maintain a stable and consistent football calendar.
The new calendar is part of the NPFL’s wider preparations for the season, which also include orientation programmes for newly promoted clubs.
