Coventry City are going back to the Premier League after a quarter-century wait, a long-awaited return and a great relief to the club and its supporters.
Burnley and Leeds United sealed quick returns to the Premier League during the 2024-25 Championship season, but longer promotion waits are more common than many relegated teams expect upon dipping into the second tier.
MORE — FA Cup history: All winners, finals
Take Sunderland, who rose back to the top last season for the first time since being relegated in 2016-17, a journey that included relegation to League One.
Here's a list of the clubs promoted to the Premier League since the naming of the division, plus all of the playoff finals since they began following the 1986-87 season.
Premier League promotion history by season
Bolded teams still in Premier League
1992:93: Newcastle United, West Ham United, Swindon Town
1993-94: Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City
1994-95: Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers
1995-96: Sunderland, Derby County, Leicester City
1996-97: Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley, Crystal Palace
1997-98: Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough, Charlton Athletic
1998-99: Sunderland, Bradford City, Watford
1999-2000: Charlton Athletic, Manchester City, Ipswich Town
2000-01: Fulham, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers
2001-02; Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City
2002-03: Portsmouth, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers
2003-04: Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace
2004-05: Sunderland, Wigan Athletic, West Ham United
2005-06: Reading, Sheffield United, Watford
2006-07: Sunderland, Birmingham City, Derby County
2007-08: West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Hull City
2008-09: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Burnley
2009-10: Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion, Blackpool
2010-11: Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Swansea City
2011-12: Reading, Southampton, West Ham United
2012-13: Cardiff City, Hull City, Crystal Palace
2013-14: Leicester City, Burnley, Queens Park Rangers
2014-15: Bournemouth, Watford, Norwich City
2015-16: Burnley, Middlesbrough, Hull City
2016-17: Newcastle United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Huddersfield Town
2017-18: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City, Fulham
2018-19: Norwich City, Sheffield United, Aston Villa
2019-20: Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham
2020-21: Norwich City, Watford, Brentford
2021-22: Fulham, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest
2022-23: Sheffield United, Burnley, Luton Town
2023-24: Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Southampton
2024-25: Burnley, Leeds United,Sunderland
2025-26: Coventry City plus two TBD
List of Championship playoff promotional finals
1987: Charlton Athletic 1-1, 2-1 Leeds United (replay)
1988: Middlesbrough 2-1 Chelsea (two legs)
1989: Crystal Palace 4-3 Blackburn Rovers (two legs)
1990: Swindon Town 1-0 Sunderland
1991: Notts County 3-1 Brighton and Hove Albion
1992: Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Leicester City
1993: Swindon Town 4-3 Leicester City
1994: Leicester City 2-1 Derby County
1995: Bolton Wanderers 4-3 Reading
1996: Leicester City 2-1 Crystal Palace
1997: Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield United
1998: Charlton Athletic 4-4 (7-6 pens) Sunderland
1999: Watford 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
2000: Ipswich Town 4-2 Barnsley
2001: Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Preston North End
2002: Birmingham City 1-1 (4-2 pens) Norwich City
2003: Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 Sheffield United
2004: Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United
2005: West Ham United 1-0 Preston North End
2006: Watford 3-0 Leeds United
2007: Derby County 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
2008: Hull City 1-0 Bristol City
2009: Burnley 1-0 Sheffield United
2010: Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff City
2011: Swansea City 4-2 Reading
2012: West Ham United 2-1 Blackpool
2013: Crystal Palace 1-0 (aet) Watford
2014: Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Derby County
2015: Norwich City 2-0 Middlesbrough
2016: Hull City 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday
2017: Huddersfield Town 0-0 (4-3 pens) Reading
2018: Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa
2019: Aston Villa 2-1 Derby County
2020: Fulham 2-1 (aet) Brentford
2021: Brentford 2-0 Swansea City
2022: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Huddersfield Town
2023: Luton Town 1-1 (6-5 pens) Coventry City
2024: Southampton 1-0 Leeds United
2025: Sunderland 2-1 Sheffield United
2026: TBD
