The Indian Super League (ISL) will return to its traditional competition structure from the 2026-27 season, with a complete schedule of home-and-away fixtures followed by the knockout stages, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced during a press conference on Wednesday.

The announcement was made jointly by AIFF officials and representatives from ISL clubs FC Goa, Northeast United FC, and Sporting Club Delhi, marking a significant step in the league’s long-term planning.

Last season, the ISL was conducted in a shortened round-robin format after the competition’s start was delayed because of administrative challenges and financial constraints within the AIFF. The revised format reduced the number of matches and omitted the league’s usual full schedule.

Confirming the return to a regular season, FC Goa chief executive officer Ravi Puskur said clubs were eager to see the league restored to its original structure.

“We will have a full-fledged season where every team will play their respective home and away games in a full quota rather than having to play a truncated format. We look forward to working collectively with the AIFF to try and ensure that the league is as successful as it can be,” Puskur said.

The governing body also announced a major change to the league’s commercial structure. Going forward, ISL clubs will hold the commercial rights to the competition, while the AIFF will continue to oversee its administration and key operational responsibilities.

AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to developing the competition.

“From our side, we are very committed to making this league one of the best in Asia,” he said.

Explaining the new commercial model, Northeast United FC CEO Mandar Tamhane said the league would adopt a broadcast-focused approach aimed at ensuring long-term financial stability.

“It will be a broadcast-driven model. We are moving towards a club-led model because both the clubs and the AIFF believe it is the right approach from the perspective of long-term commercial and financial sustainability,” Tamhane said.

Officials added that the clubs will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify a broadcast partner while also working on sponsorship opportunities. The league calendar will be aligned with FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competition windows to improve scheduling and player availability.

The new ISL season is scheduled to begin on September 4, with East Bengal entering the campaign as the defending champion.