The league was expanded to twelve teams and started on April 17, 1994 and ended on November 13 with Dalian Wanda winning the championship.
By the start of the 1994 league season the Chinese Football Association had been demanding full professionalism since 1992, this meant that private businesses were allowed to own or sponsor football clubs for the first time.
The Chinese FA would also sell the television rights to CCTV for 450,000 Yuan and gain sponsorship for the league from Marlboro.
[1] With better wages clubs could now transfer professional foreign players except for Bayi who because they're part of the People's Liberation Army had to have active military members.
Below is a list of the dates on when the clubs officially became professional as well as when they gained their first sponsor and changed their name to accommodate this.