THE 2022 SSE Airtricity First Division season will kick off on Friday, 18 February and conclude on Friday, 21 October, with the full fixture schedule for the new campaign confirmed today. 

With the league moving to a new nine-team format for the 2022 season, each club will play each other twice home and away.

And the opening round of fixtures will see Longford Town and Waterford FC – who were both relegated from the Premier Division last season – begin the new campaign at home to Cobh Ramblers and away to Athlone Town respectively.

Bray Wanderers are at home to Cork City and Wexford FC will host Treaty United.

Galway United are set to sit out the opening weekend of fixtures, with their season starting away to Cork City on 25 February.

The First Division champions will be promoted automatically to the Premier Division while the sides finishing in second, third, fourth and fifth spots will contest a promotion/relegation play-off series alongside the team that finishes ninth in the Premier Division.

The First Division teams finishing second and fifth and the teams in third and fourth place will play each other in a two-legged play-off with the winners then contesting a one-legged final.

The winner of this fixture will then play the team that finishes ninth in the Premier Division table to secure the final top flight place for the 2023 season.

And in further good news for supporters, all First Division games will be available on LOITV next season with details of the service to be announced early in the new year.

The fixtures for the 2022 Premier Division season are set to be confirmed later today.

The full fixture schedule for the 2022 First Division can be found here.