Overview
- Under the proposal, the federation would own and operate the ISL for 20 seasons with governance via a board that has limited operational autonomy while AIFF retains final financial control.
- The model sets a ₹70 crore central operating budget for the first season, a reimbursable ₹1 crore annual participation fee per club, and a revenue split of 50% to clubs, 10% to AIFF, and 30% reserved for a future commercial partner.
- Promotion and relegation would be adopted and the league calendar would shift to a June–May cycle from 2026–27 in line with AFC norms.
- Two cost-controlled formats were tabled for a 2025–26 restart: a conference-based league at centralised venues or a single-leg all-play-all season without playoffs.
- Talks will continue over the weekend after a court-supervised rights tender drew no bids, and officials have floated an early-February kickoff, reportedly around February 5, subject to agreement.