The 2017–18 Ascenso MX season is a two-part competition: Apertura 2017 and Clausura 2018. Ascenso MX is the second-tier football league of Mexico. Apertura began on 21 July 2017, and Clausura began on 5 January 2018.
Changes from the previous season Six teams meet the requirements to be promoted to the Liga MX for the 2018–2019 season. Those teams are Atlético San Luis, Atlante, Celaya, Juárez, Sinaloa, and UdeG. The remaining teams were awarded MXN$120 million for winning the promotion playoff, which should be utilized to fulfill necessary requirements for promotion within the next season, and remain in Ascenso MX. If a team wins promotion but does not meet requirements for Liga MX, the relegated Liga MX team of the 2017–18 season will be obligated to pay the prize money to that team, and the relegated Liga MX team will remain in first division. If the relegated Liga MX team cannot distribute the prize money to the promoted Ascenso MX team, both teams will lose their right to play in Liga MX and must play in Ascenso MX the following season.
16 clubs participated in this season: Lobos BUAP were promoted to Liga MX. Chiapas was relegated from Liga MX; however, the club dissolved due to debts and will attempt to reform in the Segunda División. UdeC was relegated to the Segunda División. Tlaxcala were promoted from the Segunda División but will not compete this season due to a failure to meet stadium requirements. Their spot in Ascenso MX will be reserved for the 2018–19 season. Atlético San Luis returned after a one-year hiatus due to an investment by Atlético Madrid. Coras FC were sold and relocated to Morelos to become Club Atlético Zacatepec, replacing dissolved Zacatepec Siglo XXI.
Stadiums and Locations Club City Stadium CapacityAlebrijes de Oaxaca Oaxaca City, Oaxaca Tecnológico de Oaxaca14,598Atlante Cancún, Quintana Roo Andrés Quintana Roo 17,289Atlético San Luis San Luis Potosí City, San Luis Potosí Alfonso Lastras 25,111Cafetaleros de Tapachula Tapachula, Chiapas Olímpico de Tapachula 18,017Celaya Celaya, Guanajuato Miguel Alemán Valdés 23,182Cimarrones de Sonora Hermosillo, Sonora Héroe de Nacozari 18,747Correcaminos UAT Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas Marte R. Gómez 10,520Dorados de Sinaloa Culiacán, Sinaloa Banorte 20,108Juárez Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua Olímpico Benito Juárez 19,703Leones Negros UdeG Guadalajara, Jalisco Jalisco 55,020Mineros de Zacatecas Zacatecas City, Zacatecas Carlos Vega Villalba 13,820Murciélagos Los Mochis, Sinaloa Centenario 11,134Potros UAEMToluca, State of Mexico Universitario Alberto "Chivo" Córdoba 32,603Tampico Madero Tampico / Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas Tamaulipas 19,667Venados Mérida, Yucatán Carlos Iturralde 15,087Zacatepec Zacatepec, Morelos Agustín "Coruco" Díaz 24,313
Personnel and kits Team Chairman Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor(s)Alebrijes de Oaxaca Santiago San Román Irving Rubirosa Édgar Hernández Keuka Ópticas América, ElectrolitAtlante José Gabriel Gutiérrez Lavín Sergio Bueno Gerardo Ruíz Kappa Riviera MayaAtlético de San Luis Alberto Marrero Alfonso Sosa Alejandro Palacios Nike Canel's, Hilton, Mobil Super, Coca-ColaCafetaleros de Tapachula Gabriel Orantes Constanzo Gabriel Caballero Edy Brambila Silver Sport Cafetaleros de Corazón, ElectrolitCelaya Alan Achar Ricardo Valiño Alfredo Moreno Keuka Bachoco, Caja Popular MexicanaCimarrones de Sonora Servando Carbajal Mario García José Saavedra Romed Súper del Norte, Acer, Megacable, Coca-ColaCorrecaminos UAT Rafael Flores Alcocer Ricardo Rayas Daniel Cisneros Pirma AeromarDorados de Sinaloa José Antonio Núñez Paco Ramírez Cristian Campestrini Charly Coppel, Electrolit, SuKarne, CalienteJuárez Juan Carlos Talavera Tomás Campos (Interim) Leandro Carrijó Carrara S-Mart, Coca-ColaLeones Negros UdeG José Alberto Castellanos Gutiérrez Jorge Dávalos Ismael Valadéz Charly Electrolit, Coca-ColaMineros de Zacatecas Armando Martínez Patiño Andrés Carevic Fernando Madrigal Pirma Telcel, Mobil Super, Zacatecas ¡Deslumbrante!, Red Gasislo, Office DepotMurciélagos Miguel Favela Galindo Lorenzo López Édgar Mejía Keuka Meprosa, Agro-Operadora, Coca-Cola, TDNPotros UAEM Alfredo Barrera Baca Héctor Hugo Eugui Alfonso Rippa Kappa Holiday Inn Express, Electrolit, VolarisTampico Madero Luis Miguel Pérez Amarante Eduardo Fentanes Humberto Hernández Charly B Hermanos, Chevrolet Tampico Sales, ElectrolitVenados Rodolfo Rosas Cantillo Bruno Marioni Aldo Polo U-Sports Tony Roma's, Coca-ColaZacatepec Víctor Manuel Arana Marcelo Michel Leaño Juan Neira Yire Akron, Itromep Omeprazol 1. On the back of shirt. 2. On the sleeves. 3. On the shorts.
Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in tablePre-Apertura changes Atlante Eduardo Fentanes End of contract April 21, 2017 Raúl Gutiérrez June 6, 2017 Preseason Celaya Gerardo Reinoso (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker April 25, 2017 Ricardo Valiño April 25, 2017 Preseason Cimarrones de Sonora Juan Carlos Chávez End of contract April 29, 2017 Mario García May 29, 2017 Preseason Tampico Madero Daniel Guzmán Mutual agreement May 8, 2017 Eduardo Fentanes May 23, 2017 Preseason Leones Negros UdeG Joel Sánchez End of contract May 9, 2017 Jorge Dávalos May 25, 2017 Preseason Mineros de Zacatecas Ricardo Rayas End of contract May 11, 2017 Efraín Flores May 30, 2017 Preseason Correcaminos UAT Jaime Ordiales Sacked May 12, 2017 Ricardo Rayas May 23, 2017 Preseason Dorados de Sinaloa Gabriel Caballero End of contract May 26, 2017 Diego Ramírez May 27, 2017 Preseason Zacatepec Carlos Gutiérrez Team was rebranded May 31, 2017 Marcelo Michel Leaño May 31, 2017 PreseasonApertura changes Cafetaleros de Tapachula Paco Ramírez Mutual agreement August 7, 2017 Gabriel Caballero August 8, 2017 16th Murciélagos Luis Mendoza Mutual agreement October 12, 2017 Oscar Gil October 12, 2017 11th Atlante Raúl Gutiérrez Sacked October 22, 2017 Eduardo Rergis (Interim) October 22, 2017 15thPre-Clausura changes Potros UAEM Omar Ramírez Mutual agreement November 12, 2017 Héctor Hugo Eugui November 13, 2017 Preseason Atlante Eduardo Rergis (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker November 13, 2017 Sergio Bueno November 13, 2017 Preseason Atlético San Luis Salvador Reyes Jr. Sacked November 13, 2017 José Francisco Molina November 14, 2017 Preseason Dorados de Sinaloa Diego Ramírez Mutual agreement November 24, 2017 Paco Ramírez November 29, 2017Preseason Mineros de Zacatecas Efraín Flores Resigned November 30, 2017 Andrés Carevic November 30, 2017PreseasonClausura changes Murciélagos Oscar Gil Resigned February 8, 2018 Alejandro Mercado (Interim) February 8, 2018 15th Murciélagos Alejandro Mercado (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker February 12, 2018 Lorenzo López February 12, 2018 15th Atlético San Luis José Francisco Molina Sacked February 18, 2018 Alfonso Sosa February 19, 201816thJuárez Miguel Fuentes Sacked March 19, 2018 Tomás Campos (Interim) March 19, 201812th
Coras de Tepic was relocated and renamed Club Atlético Zacatepec. The board and management of Coras de Tepic took over the previous management of Zacatepec Siglo XXI.
Apertura 2017 The regular season began on 21 July 2017 and ended on 11 November 2017. Fixtures for the Apertura 2017 season were announced on 13 June 2017. The ninth round of the season, scheduled for 22 and 23 September 2017, was suspended after the 2017 Central Mexico earthquake on 19 September 2017. However, the ninth round was still the next round played, during the FIFA International break on 6,7, and 8 October 2017. The liguilla was played from 15 November to 2 December 2017. Oaxaca won their first title after defeating Juárez on penalties.
Regular season
Standings
Positions by round
Results
Season statistics
Top goalscorers Players sorted first by goals scored, then by last name. Rank Player Club Goals1 Luis MadrigalAlebrijes de Oaxaca122 Javier OrozcoTampico Madero103 Luciano NequecaurVenados84 Juan NeiraZacatepec6 Dante OsorioPotros UAEM Pedro RenteríaMurciélagos Hernán RiveroCorrecaminos UAT Oscar VillaCimarrones de Sonora9 Vinicio AnguloDorados de Sinaloa5 Christian BermúdezCafetaleros de Tapachula Leandro CarrijóJuárez Éder CruzMineros de Zacatecas Adolfo DomínguezCafetaleros de Tapachula Pablo OliveraAtlético San Luis
Source: Ascenso MX
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Round Reference Víctor GuajardoSonoraAtlético San Luis3–1 (H)18 August 20175 Luciano NequecaurVenadosAtlante3–1 (H)27 October 201713 (H) – Home; (A) – Away
Attendance
Per team
Highest and lowest Highest attendance Lowest attendance Week Home Score Away Attendance Home Score Away Attendance 1 Tampico Madero 0–0 Zacatepec 9,125 Atlante 4–1 Tapachula 3,2502 Atlético San Luis 2–0 Juárez 14,514 Murciélagos 0–1 Venados 03 Tampico Madero 1–1 Atlético San Luis 10,583 Murciélagos 1–0 Cafetaleros de Tapachula 2,276 4 Atlético San Luis 2–0 Atlante 16,595 Potros UAEM 1–2 Juárez 3,3245 Cafetaleros de Tapachula 2–1 Zacatepec 10,453 Atlante 0–1 Correcaminos UAT 2,561 6 Atlético San Luis 1–0 Murciélagos 14,280 Mineros de Zacatecas 2–1 Tampico Madero 3,008 7 Cafetaleros de Tapachula 0–0 Atlético San Luis 9,875 Murciélagos 2–3 Correcaminos UAT 1,8538 Atlético San Luis 1–0 Zacatepec 15,717 Potros UAEM 1–1 Murciélagos 1,6009 Cimarrones de Sonora 1–0 Dorados de Sinaloa 7,419 Atlante 1–1 Leones Negros UdeG 55010 Alebrijes de Oaxaca 2–1 Atlante 13,337 Potros UAEM 2–2 Zacatepec 1,83711 Atlético San Luis 1–1 Correcaminos UAT 22,230 Zacatepec 2–2 Mineros de Zacatecas 1,34912 Juárez 2–2 Cimarrones de Sonora 6,307 Potros UAEM 0–0 Atlético San Luis 1,08413 Atlético San Luis 0–0 Mineros de Zacatecas 12,416 Murciélagos 0–2 Juárez 2,45614 Tampico Madero 3–2 Murciélagos 10,252 Leones Negros UdeG 0–1 Celaya 3,00315 Cafetaleros de Tapachula 0–1 Tampico Madero 21,000 Murciélagos 4–0 Atlante 1,932
Source: Ascenso MX
Liguilla (Playoffs) The eight best teams play two games against each other on a home-and-away basis. The higher seeded teams play on their home field during the second leg. The winner of each match up is determined by aggregate score. If the teams are tied, the away goals rule applies. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, if the two teams are tied on aggregate and away goals, the higher seeded team advances. In the final, if the two teams are tied after both legs, the match goes to extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out.
Quarterfinals
All times are UTC−6 except for matches in Ciudad Juárez.
First leg
Second leg
Semifinals The first leg of the semifinals was played on 22 November 2017, and the second leg was played on 25 November 2017.
First leg
Second leg
Final
First leg
Second leg
Clausura 2018 The regular season began on 5 January 2018 and ended on 1 April 2018. The liguilla began on 7 April 2018 and ended on 29 April 2018. Alebrijes de Oaxaca are the defending champions, having won their first title. Cafetaleros de Tapachula defeated Leones Negros UdeG 3–2 on aggregate to win their first title.
Regular season
Standings
Positions by round The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for matchday 3, but then postponed and played between days 6 and 7, it will be added to the standings for day 6.
The eighth round was played on 13 and 14 February 2018. Due to a friendly between Atlético San Luis and New York City FC on 13 February 2018, the match between Zacatepec and Atlético San Luis was postponed until 20 February 2018, after the ninth round.
Results
Season statistics
Top goalscorers Players sorted first by goals scored, then by last name.