The new SSE Airtricity League format was announced today and following last season's trimming of the top-flight, there will now be 36 league games in the Premier Division next season.
It will kick-off earlier, on Friday, February 16 while the First Division season with 27 league games gets underway a week later on Friday, February 23.
The season's curtain-raiser - the President’s Cup - will be contested by double winners Cork City and Premier Division runners up Dundalk place on February 11 at Oriel Park.
As ever, the champions of the First Division will be guaranteed automatic promotion to the Premier Division and next season they will replace the team that finishes 10th in the top tier.
Things get a little bit more complicated with regard to the second possible promotion place.
The 2nd,3rd and 4th placed clubs will go into the promotion/relegation play-offs at the end of the season with the fourth placed team clashing with the team in third.
The winner of that tie will then face the team that finishes second and the victors then get the chance to play the team that finishes ninth in the Premier Division in the final promotion/relegation play-off.
All play-off matches will be played over two legs meaning that the third or fourth placed team in the second tier would have to play six matches in an attempt to win promotion.
The mid-season break will take place from Saturday, June 16 to Thursday, June 28 and there are no midweek league fixtures scheduled in the First Division.
The Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup Final is set for Sunday, November 4 at the Aviva Stadium while the EA SPORTS Cup Final will take place on Saturday, September 15.
Due to a reconfiguration of the UEFA competitions, the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League will begin a week later, and at the same time, on the week beginning Monday, July 9.
The 2018 SSE Airtricity League Fixture List will be released at 12pm on Tuesday, December 19.
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