The BUCS Football League is the association football league system of British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS). It is the largest sport in UK higher education, with over 500 men's and women's teams competing in 100 leagues.
Competition format The league follows the standard BUCS double pyramid, with two Premier divisions (North and South) sitting above five regions (Scottish, Northern, Midlands, Western and South Eastern). There are five divisions, one for each region, in the top regional tier (Tier 1), but at lower tiers the regions may be sub-divided into A, B, etc. divisions on a geographical basis. There are eight levels (Premier to Tier 7) in the men's pyramid and five (Premier to Tier 4) in the women's pyramid.
Divisions each consist of six teams, with the exception of the bottom division in each region. Teams in divisions with six or fewer teams play each other twice, home and away, while teams in divisions with seven or more teams play once, either home or away. All teams from the two Premier divisions enter the knockout Championship, teams in Tier 1 enter the Trophy, and teams in Tier 2 and below enter the Conference Cup. The bottom team from each Premier division and the top first teams from Tier 1 enter a promotion/relegation playoff at the end of the season; promotion and relegation between the regional tiers is automatic.
Former winners
Year ChampionshipPremier NorthPremier South2025-26MenNottinghamStirlingHartpuryWomenNorthumbriaNottinghamExeter2024-25MenLoughboroughNewcastleExeterWomenSt. AndrewsLoughboroughBristol2023-24MenHartpuryStirlingChichesterWomenLoughboroughSt. AndrewsSouth Wales2022-23MenDurhamStirlingBathWomenNottinghamLoughboroughBristol2021-22MenLoughboroughStirlingHartpuryWomenLoughboroughLoughboroughCardiff Met2020-21Menall competitions suspended due to COVID-19 pandemicWomen2019-20Mennational championships suspended due to COVID-19 pandemicStirlingHartpuryWomenNorthumbriaCardiff Met2018–19MenSouth WalesNorthumbriaSouth WalesWomenNorthumbriaNorthumbriaCardiff Met2017–18MenCardiff MetNottingham TrentCardiff MetWomenDurhamDurhamHertfordshire2016–17MenCardiff MetLoughboroughHartpuryWomenDurhamDurhamCardiff Met2015–16MenUSWDurhamHartpuryWomenNorthumbriaDurhamCardiff Met2014–15MenHartpuryLoughboroughUSWWomenDurhamDurhamCardiff Met2013–14MenStirlingStirlingHartpuryWomenCardiff MetDurhamHertfordshire2012–13MenLoughboroughLoughboroughHartpuryWomenCardiff MetLoughboroughCardiff Met2011–12MenBathLoughboroughHartpuryWomenLoughboroughNorthumbriaCardiff Met2010–11MenHartpuryStirlingHartpuryWomenNorthumbriaLeeds BeckettHertfordshire2009–10MenLoughboroughLeedsHartpuryWomenNorthumbriaLeeds BeckettHertfordshire2008–09MenLoughboroughLoughboroughHartpuryWomenLeeds BeckettLeeds BeckettHertfordshire2007–08MenHartpuryBirminghamHartpuryWomenCardiff MetLeeds BeckettCardiff Met2006–07MenHartpuryLoughboroughBrightonWomenLoughboroughLoughboroughCardiff Met2005–06MenLoughboroughNorthumbriaBathWomenLoughboroughLoughboroughCardiff Met2004–05MenLoughboroughLoughboroughSwanseaWomenBathLoughboroughBath
Note: for consistency, current names are used throughout the table, e.g. Leeds Beckett rather than Leeds Met and Cardiff Met rather than UWIC.
SeasonChampionshipTrophyShieldPlateVase2004–05Loughborough University 1stMMU Cheshire 2ndUWE Hartpury 1stUniversity of Sussex 1stUniversity of Strathclyde 2nd2005–06Loughborough University 1stUWE Hartpury 1stDe Montfort University, Bedford 1stLeeds Metropolitan Carnegie 2nd2006–07UWE Hartpury 1stUniversity of Manchester 1stUniversity of Hull 1stBournemouth University 1stNorthumbria University 3rd2007–08UWE Hartpury 1stUniversity of Bath 2ndUniversity of Manchester 1stUniversity of Central Lancashire 1stUniversity of Nottingham 4th
References
External links