I-League 2024-25 to kick off on Nov 22 with double-header

New Delhi, Oct 24: The 2024-25 I-League season will kick off on November 22, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Thursday.

The opening day will feature a double-header with Sreenidi Deccan facing Gokulam Kerala in Hyderabad, and Inter Kashi hosting SC Bengaluru at Naihati in West Bengal.

The 12-team I-League will run through December, January, February, and March, ending on April 6, 2025.

Sporting Club Bengaluru and Dempo SC are the two new entrants into the country's second-tier club competition after finishing as champions and runners-ups of 2023-24 I-League 2.

The All India Football Federation said it held a meeting with the I-League club owners on Thursday and they agreed to its proposals "to invite potential sponsors and the initiative to bring the telecasting partners and broadcasting team on board for all the I-League matches, including the IWL and other elite group of competitions in AIFF".

“Hopefully, we will be able to complete this process by the second week of November as the first match is on 22nd November. That is what we have decided and a couple of points were raised by the I-League clubs, which are being considered by the AIFF,” AIFF Secretary General Anilkumar said.