Ascenso MX

Ascenso MX

Founded	1994; 30 years ago (1994), as Primera División A de México
Folded	2020; 4 years ago (2020)
Country	Mexico
Confederation	CONCACAF
Number of teams	12
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Liga MX
Relegation to	Liga Premier
Domestic cup(s)	Copa MX Supercopa MX
Last champions	Oaxaca (2nd title)
Most championships	Sinaloa León Irapuato Necaxa (4 titles each)
Website	ascensomx.net
Current: 2019–20 Ascenso MX season

The Ascenso MX was the second level division of the Mexican football league system.^[1] The champions of the competition was promoted to Liga MX (top level). The bottom team was relegated to Liga Premier (third level). It was sponsored by BBVA through its Mexican subsidiary BBVA, and was officially known as Ascenso BBVA MX.

Formerly called Primera División A de México (1994-2009), the league rebranded in 2009 its name and competition format to Liga de Ascenso (2009-2012). It was rebranded as Ascenso MX in 2012, the major changes (clubs do not need a FMF certification to be promoted and that the competition no longer used group stages).

Ascenso MX was replaced by Liga de Expansión MX on April 17, 2020.

In 1994, to create a premier league, the FMF upgraded the Segunda División de México to Primera División A de México to bring closer the level of play in the two divisions. The project was under the direction of José Antonio García Rodríguez, then president of the then top level Primera División. He envisioned the new division to be joined by the best teams of the Segunda División and include teams from the United States (Los Angeles Salsa and San Jose Black Hawks expressed a desire to join). FIFA declined the integration but established a new league with the best Segunda División sides. The inaugural 1994-95 season began with 15 teams: Acapulco, Atlético Celaya, Atlético San Francisco, Atlético Yucatán, Caimanes de Tabasco, Coras de Tepic, Gallos de Aguascalientes, Halcones de Querétaro, Inter Tijuana, Irapuato, Reboceros de La Piedad, Marte, Pachuca, San Luis, and Zacatepec. Cobras de Ciudad Juárez declined to participate due to financial problems.

In 2006, the number of teams increased from 20 to 24, and geographically separated into two groups for preliminary competition (A and B).

In 2009, the major changes were: the name change from Primera División A to Liga de Ascenso. The league was reduced to 17 teams and the groups were eliminated. The Apertura 2010 tournament had 18 teams participating. In 2012 the league was rebranded as Ascenso MX.^[2] Alebrijes de Oaxaca was the 16th team of Ascenso MX in 2013. Alebrijes was partly formed by consolidating Segunda División side Tecamachalco which had won promotion to Ascenso MX in 2012, but did not fulfill infrastructural requirements set by the Mexican Football Federation. In August 2013, Zacatepec was promoted to Ascenso MX in place of relegated Pumas Morelos. ^[3]

During the 2011–2016 seasons there was no relegation to the Segunda División de México. On June 6, 2016, returned the relegation for the 2016–17 season. Loros UdeC and Murciélagos were relegated in the next two seasons. In 2018–19 season, C.D.S. Tampico Madero finished last in the relegation table, but remained in Ascenso MX after paying a bail.^[4]

On April 13, Liga MX and Ascenso MX President Enrique Bonilla announced the termination of the remainder of the Clausura 2020 season. Two reasons were the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic and the league's lack of financial resources. Its U-17 and U-20 youth systems and the Liga MX Femenil are also at risk.^[5]

The 2019–20 season had 14 clubs competing.^[6] However, the Clausura 2020 tournament had only 12 teams competing after the dissolution of Potros UAEM and Loros UdeC.

Atlante

Celaya

Oaxaca

Sinaloa

Sonora

Tampico Madero

Cafetaleros

UdeG

UAT

Venados

Zacatecas

Zacatepec

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Location of teams in the 2019–20 Ascenso MX

Notes

1. Clubs currently in the Liga MX.
2. Clubs currently in the Liga Premier.
3. Clubs currently in the Liga TDP.
4. Defunct clubs.

Notes

1. Clubs gained automatic promotion as they won both tournaments.

BBVA México was the league's sponsor, and used the brand name Ascenso BBVA MX. The official match ball is manufactured by Voit.

Notes

1. Puebla bought Unión de Curtidores and took over its spot.
2. Veracruz gained automatic promotion due to expansion in the Primera División.
3. Veracruz bought La Piedad and took over its spot.
4. Zacatepec bought Cruz Azul Hidalgo and took over its spot in Ascenso MX.
5. Tapachula were not certified to be promoted to Liga MX.

Year	Name	Team	Goals
1994–95	Marco de Almeida	Marte	15
1995–96	Lorenzo Sáez	Pachuca	30
Invierno 96	Nílson Esidio Mora	Tigres UANL	11
Verano 97	Ángel Lemus Carlos Pavón	Irapuato UAT	12
Invierno 97	Niver Arboleda	Zacatepec	17
Verano 98	Daniel Fasciolli Carlos Morales Valtencir Gomes	UAT Pachuca Tigrillos UANL	12
Invierno 98	Cristián Ariel Morales	Irapuato	19
Verano 99	Ángel Lemus	San Luis	16
Invierno 99	Cristián Ariel Morales	Irapuato	17
Verano 2000	Carlos Muñoz Emmanuel Sacramento	Lobos BUAP	15
Invierno 2000	Christian Patiño	La Piedad	16
Verano 01	Héctor Giménez	Gallos de Aguascalientes	16
Invierno 01	Héctor Álvarez	Tampico Madero	16
Verano 02	Ariel González	Querétaro	15
Apertura 02	Héctor Álvarez	Zacatepec	23
Clausura 03	Héctor Álvarez	Zacatepec	16
Apertura 03	Héctor Álvarez	León	17
Clausura 04	Mauro Gerk Francisco Bravo	Celaya Zacatepec	18
Apertura 04	Ariel González	San Luis	16
Clausura 05	Rubén Darío Gigena	Cruz Azul Hidalgo	17
Apertura 05	Mauricio Romero	Coyotes de Sonora	16
Clausura 06	Diego Olsina	Coatzacoalcos	15
Apertura 06	Álvaro González	Puebla	14
Clausura 07	Álvaro González	Puebla	16
Apertura 07	Mauricio Romero	León	14
Clausura 08	Freddy Bareiro	León	17
Apertura 08	Mauro Gerk Raúl Enríquez	Querétaro Tijuana	14
Clausura 09	Sebastián Maz	Sinaloa	15
Apertura 09	Ariel González	Irapuato	11
Bicentenario 2010	Ariel González Carlos Casartelli	Irapuato León	11
Apertura 10	Eder Pacheco	Durango	13
Clausura 2011	Blas Pérez	León	14
Apertura 11	Nicolás Saucedo	UAT	11
Clausura 2012	Sebastián Maz	León	13
Apertura 12	Víctor Lojero Rodrigo Prieto	Necaxa Toros Neza	11
Clausura 2013	Víctor Lojero	Necaxa	12
Apertura 2013	Gustavo Ramírez	Oaxaca	11
Clausura 2014	Roberto Nurse	UAT	12
Apertura 2014	Diego Jiménez Giancarlo Maldonado	Lobos BUAP Atlante	10
Clausura 2015	Roberto Nurse Leandro Carrijó	Sinaloa Atlético San Luis	10
Apertura 2015	Carlos Garcés	Atlante	10
Clausura 2016	Ismael Valadéz	Tapachula	10
Apertura 2016	Roberto Nurse	Zacatecas	16
Clausura 2017	Diego Jiménez	Lobos BUAP	10
Apertura 2017	Luis Madrigal	Oaxaca	12
Clausura 2018	Guillermo Martínez	Zacatecas	11
Apertura 2018	Nicolás Ibáñez Roberto Nurse	Atlético San Luis Zacatecas	8
Clausura 2019	Nicolás Ibáñez	Atlético San Luis	11
Apertura 2019	Víctor Mañón	Loros UdeC	8

• Football in Mexico
• Mexican football league system
• Mexican Football Federation
• Liga MX
• Liga de Expansión MX
• Liga Premier
• Liga TDP

• Official website