Posted on 5th February 2026
3UP campaign: Support grows one year on from launch
A year after the launch of the “3UP” campaign, which aims to increase the number of promotion places from the National League, the EFL board is due to discuss the proposal.
The National League – supported by clubs, supporters and politicians – hopes to increase the number of promotion slots to League Two from the current two to three, bringing it in line with the situation that exists between the Premier League, Championship and League One.
National League to League Two is the only instance in elite football where there aren’t at least three promotion spaces.
Ahead of March’s annual meeting of its 72 clubs the EFL board will be looking at the issue and deciding whether to take it to the league’s member clubs.
The National League said: “One year on from the launch of 3UP, the case has been made – repeatedly, consistently, and convincingly.
“The priority now is resolution. The decision ultimately sits with the EFL, and with its board and member clubs. With key EFL meetings taking place this week, we await developments with optimism and clarity of purpose.”
EFL board meets today and will discuss matters crucial to the future of the National League, namely #3UP. Campaign makes sense. https://t.co/nhzaa4RWYd
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) February 5, 2026
Last summer supporters voted to support the National League’s campaign with a motion at the FSA AGM in Manchester. A poll conducted by the FSA prior to that showed nine out of ten fans back the principle of increasing the promotion and relegation spaces between the EFL and the National League from two to three.
“3UP is not a radical change,” the National League said. “It is the correction of a structural anomaly – one that has existed for more than two decades and is increasingly out of step with the modern game.
“As we enter the second year of the campaign, the focus remains on constructive engagement, sustained momentum, and turning consensus into action.”
