Some of English football's hottest prospects will take part in a revamped Premier League 2 this season.

The competition, which effectively runs as a youth league for the country's most prestigious academies, has undergone some significant rule and structural changes.

We cover everything you need to know below.

What is Premier League 2?

Premier League 2 was created in 2016-17 as a replacement for the now defunct Under-21 Premier League.

The aim of the competition is to offer players aged 17 to 21 the chance to play in a competitive environment similar to senior football while they are still developing.

Teams must boast a Category One academy to compete in PL2, ensuring the standard of football remains extremely high.

What was the old Premier League 2 format?

Last term, the 25 clubs competing in Premier League 2 were spread across two divisions — 14 in Division One and 11 in Division 2.

Teams faced each other home and away, with Division One's bottom two clubs relegated in favour of the Division Two champions alongside the winners of a four-team play-off.

What is the new Premier League 2 format?

As of the 2023-24 campaign, the 26 clubs entering Premier League 2 will all play across one large division.

To help create the fixture list, entrants will be split into five pots based on how they have performed in PL2 over the last three campaigns.

Teams will play 20 games across a season, facing each team in their pot once as well as a random three to five teams from each of the other four pots. 

Like any other league, teams will pick up three points for a win and one for a draw, with the top 16 sides at the end of the season qualifying for a single elimination play-off.

Ties will be played over one leg with the higher-ranked team at home, with first playing 16th, second playing 15th and so on. 

The eventual victors will be crowned Premier League 2 champions — while the top 12 ranked sides from the league phase also qualify for the following season's Premier League International Cup.

Why are the Premier League 2 format changes being made?

According to the Premier League, the changes have been made to benefit the clubs taking part.

They argue that removing the relegation element encourages clubs to make decisions that aid player development, rather than desperately trying to retain Division One status at any cost.

What is more, the chance to face 20 different teams rather than 13 will expose players to a broader range of opponents.

When will Premier League 2 fixtures be released?

The fixtures for the 2023-24 PL2 campaign will be released during the week commencing July 31, 2023.

Which teams are taking part in Premier League 2?

The 26 teams taking part in the 2023-24 PL2 are as follows:

Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Brighton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Derby, Everton, Fulham, Leeds, Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham Forest, Reading, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, Tottenham, West Brom, West Ham, Wolves.