The Institutional League is a proposed Indian men's football league.[1][2]
| Organising body | All India Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | TBA |
| TV partners | AIFF (YouTube) |
The All India Football Federation announced in the press conference on 14 April 2023 that a new Institutional League will be organised with at least ten teams on home and away basis.[3] The teams will be decided via bidding process.
History
After the disbanding of clubs associated with public sector undertakings for not fulfilling Asian Football Confederation club licensing criteria, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was planning to make a corporate-clubs league in July 2017. A proposal was sent to the All India Public Sector Sports Promotion Board (AIPSSPB), but it was not organised then.[4][5]
The AIFF held a pre-meeting with 25 interested teams on 31 August 2023.[6] A few days later Request for Proposal was issued to the interested teams.[7] The league is expected to start in January 2024.
AIFF also mandated that the winners and runners-up of the Institutional League will be awarded direct entry into the Federation Cup 2024. The promotion-relegation system will also be applicable if there are more than one division in the league.[6]
Interested teams
The following 25 teams joined the pre-bid consultation meeting by the AIFF.