Premiership (Scotland) 2026/27

The Scottish Premiership stands as the highest division in Scottish football. Created in July 2013, it replaced the older Scottish Premier League (SPL) following a merger that unified the game’s governance. The league operates under the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), an organisation formed to resolve financial issues after the collapse of Rangers FC.

The championship features twelve clubs. A 38-game schedule structures the campaign. Teams face each other three times during a 33-game preliminary phase. Points carry forward into a split season. The top six and bottom six divisions compete separately for five additional matches. European qualification depends on final standings. The winner enters the UEFA Champions League group stage, while the second-placed side secures a spot in the third qualifying round. The Scottish Cup winner also claims a Europa League place.

Relegation links the top flight with the Scottish Championship. The twelfth-placed club drops automatically. The eleventh-placed team enters a play-off against the winner of a lower-tier contest involving second, third, and fourth-placed Championship sides. Celtic dominates the modern era, holding twelve titles since the competition’s inception. This includes seven consecutive championships from 2013–14 to 2019–20. They remain the current holders for the 2025–26 season.

The league’s commercial identity has shifted over time. Early sponsorship included William Hill, but the competition is now widely referred to as the SPFL Premiership. It remains distinct from the Scottish Cup, which operates as a knockout tournament managed by the Scottish Football Association (SFA). The SPFL also oversees the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Challenge Cup.