Notts County will host Leicester City at Meadow Lane on August 15, with the League One opener kicking off at 12.30pm. Leicester begin their first season in Sky Bet League One since 2008/09, while Notts County arrive in the division after promotion from the Sky Bet League Two play-off final.
Meadow Lane at 12.30pm
The fixture sits on the opening day of the EFL season and is one of the matches set for live coverage on Sky Sports. That places Notts County in the first live spotlight of the campaign against a side with Premier League history but a current place in the third tier.
Leicester’s trip is part of a wider opening weekend across the Championship, League One and League Two. Every game on August 15 will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, giving the season a full early run of televised fixtures rather than a single headline match.
Notts County’s route back
Notts County earned their place in League One by beating Salford in the Sky Bet League Two play-off final. That result ended their 142-year history without a return to this level and set up a first League One season since 2014/15.
For Leicester, the trip marks a sharp change in status after back-to-back relegations. Their 2008/09 season was the last time they were in Sky Bet League One, so the opening fixture immediately resets expectations around a club that once belonged in the Premier League.
Opening day across the EFL
The scale of the opening day goes beyond Meadow Lane. Oxford will host MK Dons at the Kassam Stadium at 12.30pm, Reading will welcome Luton to the Select Car Leasing Stadium at 12.30pm, and several other League One fixtures are scheduled for 3pm, including Barnsley against Bromley, Wigan against Cambridge, Leyton Orient against Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth against Stockport.
The broader broadcast plan stretches well past the first weekend. Every Championship, League One and League Two team will be featured live on Sky more than 20 times in the 2026/27 season, and the EFL says over 1,000 games from 1,891 matches across the EFL, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy will be shown live through the campaign.
For supporters heading to Meadow Lane, the key details are fixed now: August 15, 12.30pm, Leicester City against Notts County. The rest of the opening-day picture shows a league that starts fast, with televised games spread across the divisions from the first whistle.
