BUCS Football League

{{Infobox football league

| logo =

| pixels = 121

| country = United Kingdom

| confed = EUSA

| founded = 1994

| teams = 450+

| divisions = 100

| domest_cup = BUCS Football Championship, Trophy and Conference Cup

| website = {{url|https://www.bucs.org.uk/sports-page/football.html|bucs.org.uk/football}}

}}

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 450 men's and women's teams competing in 100 leagues.{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/athlete.asp?section=19079§ionTitle=Football|title=Football|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=2 November 2016}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/core/core_picker/download.asp?id=30767|date=6 July 2016|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=1 November 2016|title=BUCS 2016-17 Provisional Leagues Document}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/page.asp?section=19300§ionTitle=Football|title=Sport-specific regulations: football|accessdate=2 November 2016|publisher=BUCS}}

Former winners

class="wikitable"

! colspan=2|Year

! Championship

!Premier North

!Premier South

rowspan=2|2017–18

|Men{{cite web|title=BUCS Football 2017-2018 - Championship - Men's|url=https://www.bucs.org.uk/BucsCore/Knockout.aspx?id=1930&sport=Football|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=6 April 2019}}

|Cardiff Met

|Nottingham Trent

|Cardiff Met

Women{{cite web|title=BUCS Football 2017-2018 - Championship - Women's|url=https://www.bucs.org.uk/BucsCore/Knockout.aspx?id=1931&sport=Football|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=6 April 2019}}

|Durham

|Hertfordshire

rowspan=2|2016–17

|Men{{cite web|title=BUCS Football 2016-2017 - Championship - Men's|url=https://www.bucs.org.uk/BucsCore/Knockout.aspx?id=1570&sport=Football|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=6 April 2019}}

|Cardiff Met

|Loughborough

|Hartpury

Women{{cite web|title=BUCS Football 2016-2017 - Championship - Women's|url=https://www.bucs.org.uk/BucsCore/Knockout.aspx?id=1571&sport=Football|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=6 April 2019}}

|Durham

|Cardiff Met

rowspan=2|2015–16

|Men{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=1137&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2015-2016 - Championship - Men's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=1 November 2016}}

|USW

|Durham

|Hartpury

Women{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=993&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2015-2016 - Championship - Women's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Northumbria

|Durham

|Cardiff Met

rowspan=2|2014–15

|Men{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=848&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2014-2015 - Championship - Men's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Hartpury

|Loughborough

|USW

Women{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=804&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2014-2015 - Championship - Women's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Durham

|Cardiff Met

rowspan=2|2013–14

|Men{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=518&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2013-2014 - Championship - Men's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Stirling

|Hartpury

Women{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=520&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2013-2014 - Championship - Women's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Cardiff Met

|Durham

|Hertfordshire

rowspan=2|2012–13

|Men{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=388&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2012-2013 - Championship - Men's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Loughborough

|Hartpury

Women{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=389&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2012-2013 - Championship - Women's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Cardiff Met

|Loughborough

|Cardiff Met

rowspan=2|2011–12

|Men{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=108&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2011-2012 - Championship - Men's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Bath

|Loughborough

|Hartpury

Women{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/Knockout.aspx?id=109&sport=Football|title=BUCS Football 2011-2012 - Championship - Women's|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Loughborough

|Northumbria

|Cardiff Met

rowspan=2|2010–11

|Men

|Hartpury{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/page.asp?section=16144§ionTitle=Archive+10-11|title=Archive 10-11|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Stirling{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/TeamProfile.aspx?id=1553&sport=Football&institution=Loughborough|title=TEAM PROFILE Loughborough University Men's Football 1st Team|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016|at=History}}

|Hartpury{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/TeamProfile.aspx?id=1227&sport=Football&institution=University%20of%20Bath|title=TEAM PROFILE University of Bath Men's Football 1st Team|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016|at=History}}

Women

|Northumbria

|Leeds Beckett{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/TeamProfile.aspx?id=1553&sport=Football&institution=Loughborough|title=TEAM PROFILE Loughborough University Women's Football 1st Team|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016|at=History}}

|Hertfordshire{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/TeamProfile.aspx?id=1550&sport=Football&institution=Loughborough|title=TEAM PROFILE Cardiff Metropolitan University Women's Football 1st Team|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016|at=History}}

rowspan=2|2009–10

|Men

|Loughborough{{cite web|url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/news-releases/2010/49_BUCS_results.html|title=Loughborough athletes dominate BUCS indoor finals|quote=Elsewhere in the BUCS Championships, Loughborough’s men’s football 1st XI beat Bournemouth University to win the championship after coming back from a goal down in the last ten minutes with strikes from Raul Alexis and Matt Aldred.|date=16 March 2010|publisher=Loughborough University|accessdate=5 November 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/news.asp?section=8&itemid=5464|title=BUCS Football Season 2009-10 Round-Up |date=29 March 2010|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=6 November 2016}}

|Leeds

|Hartpury

Women

|Northumbria

|Leeds Beckett

|Hertfordshire

rowspan=2|2008–09

|Men

|Loughborough{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306122138/http://www.bucs.org.uk/page.asp?section=6576§ionTitle=2008-2009+Season|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/page.asp?section=6576§ionTitle=2008-2009+Season|title=2008-2009 Season|publisher=BUCS|archive-date=6 March 2010|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Loughborough

|Hartpury

Women

|Leeds Beckett

|Hertfordshire

rowspan=2|2007–08

|Men

|Hartpury{{cite web|url=https://www.bucs.org.uk/core/core_picker/download.asp?id=28853|title=BUCS Sports Review 2007–2008|publisher=BUCS|page=10|format=PDF|accessdate=6 November 2016}}

|Birmingham

|Hartpury

Women

|Cardiff Met

|Leeds Beckett

|Cardiff Met

rowspan=2|2006–07

|Men

|Hartpury{{cite web|url=http://www.bucs.org.uk/core/core_picker/download.asp?id=7055|title=BUSA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS 2006-2007 RESULTS|publisher=BUCS|accessdate=5 November 2016}}

|Loughborough

|Brighton

Women

|Loughborough

|Cardiff Met

rowspan=2|2005–06

|Men

|Loughborough{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060520143050/http://www.busa.org.uk/news.asp?id=428§ion=000100020002|url=http://www.busa.org.uk/news.asp?id=428§ion=000100020002|publisher=BUSA|title=Loughborough Make it Three in a Row |date=5 May 2006|archive-date=20 May 2006 |url-status=dead }}

|Northumbria

|Bath

Women

|Loughborough{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060520143147/http://www.busa.org.uk/news.asp?id=429§ion=000100020002|url=http://www.busa.org.uk/news.asp?id=429§ion=000100020002|archive-date=20 May 2006 |date=4 May 2006|publisher=BUSA|title=Women's Football Championship Clinched by Loughborough |url-status=dead }}

|Loughborough

|Cardiff Met

rowspan=2|2004–05

|Men

|Loughborough{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051229020706/http://www.busa.org.uk/news.asp?section=000100020002&displayDate=2005%2F5%2F1|url=http://www.busa.org.uk/news.asp?section=000100020002&displayDate=2005/5/1|archive-date=29 December 2005|publisher=BUSA|title=News Headlines 01/05/2005 - 31/05/2005 |url-status=dead }}

|Loughborough

|Swansea

Women

|Bath

|Loughborough

|Bath

Note: for consistency, current names are used throughout the table, e.g. Leeds Beckett rather than Leeds Met and Cardiff Met rather than UWIC.

class="wikitable"
Season !Championship !Trophy !Shield !Plate !Vase
2004–05 \|Loughborough University 1st \|MMU Cheshire 2nd \|UWE Hartpury 1st \|University of Sussex 1st \|University of Strathclyde 2nd
2005–06 \|Loughborough University 1st \|UWE Hartpury 1st \|De Montfort University, Bedford 1st \|Leeds Metropolitan Carnegie 2nd \|
2006–07 \|UWE Hartpury 1st \|University of Manchester 1st \|University of Hull 1st \|Bournemouth University 1st \|Northumbria University 3rd
2007–08	UWE Hartpury 1st \|University of Bath 2nd \|University of Manchester 1st \|University of Central Lancashire 1st \|University of Nottingham 4th

class="wikitable"

Season

!Championship

!Trophy

!Shield

!Plate

!Vase

2004–05

|Loughborough University 1st

|MMU Cheshire 2nd

|UWE Hartpury 1st

|University of Sussex 1st