English Football League Secures Checkatrade As EFL Trophy Sponsor

The English Football League secured a record value partnership with Checkatrade that sees the trade vetting and monitoring website become the official title sponsor of the EFL Trophy. The competition has been renamed the Checkatrade Trophy with immediate effect as clubs from League One and League Two get ready to compete with 16 Category 1 Academy teams from the Premier League and League Championship for the first time. Starting with the Aug. 29 kickoff of the '16-17 EFL season, the first stage of the Checkatrade Trophy will see 16 regionalized groups of four teams go head-to-head. The groups include at least one side from each of Leagues One and Two, alongside one Category 1 Academy team. Of each group, the top two teams will progress into the knockout stages of the competition, with eventual finalists going on to contest the showpiece Checkatrade Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium on April 2 (EFL).