League 1, referred to as the Barclays Under 21 Premier League for sponsorship reasons, was split into two divisions, with teams allocated places in Division 1 or 2 based on their performance in the 2013–14 season.
At the end of the season, the team which finished top of Division 1 was crowned as overall League 1 champions, with the previously used knock-out system being abandoned.
At the end of the season, the teams finishing in the top two positions of both divisions will meet in the knockout stage to determine the overall league champion.
Brighton & Hove Albion U21s[6] joined the Premier League 2 as a Category One Academy alongside Derby County U21s on July 25 after 2 seasons apiece.
[7] Meanwhile, Colchester United U21s returned after a one season absence when they resecured their Category Two Academy status.