The 2015–16 Football League Trophy was the 35th season in the history of the competition, a knock-out tournament for English football clubs in League One and League Two, the third and fourth tiers of the English football.
[1] It was the last tournament to take place before the introduction of Category 1 Academy teams and an initial group stage before the knockout rounds.
It was split into two sections, Northern and Southern, with the winners of each section contesting the final at Wembley Stadium.
Bristol City were the reigning champions but were unable to defend their title following promotion to the Championship.
Byes: Blackpool, Crewe Alexandra, Fleetwood Town, Wigan Athletic Byes: Bradford City, Chesterfield, Rochdale, York City Byes: Bristol Rovers, Coventry City, Oxford United, Wycombe Wanderers Byes: Crawley Town, Gillingham, Southend United, Stevenage