Leones Negros rejected the idea of paying for a spot in Liga BBVA MX after reports circulated about the club possibly joining as the 19th team. Alberto Castellanos, president of the University of Guadalajara club, said the institution believes in sporting merit, promotion and relegation, according to comments reported by Récord on October 8.
The phrase “we won’t pay a single peso” sums up that position, but it should be read alongside the reason behind it: UdeG does not present buying a spot as the path it wants to take to return to the top division. The response also does not confirm that the league has approved expanding the number of participants.
A media report and the club’s response
The story stems from a report about a possible invitation or addition to Liga MX. Castellanos publicly responded to that possibility. These are two different things: what was raised in the press and the stance expressed by the club official. Neither amounts to an official league agreement on the format, participants or conditions for entry.
The controversy comes amid an ongoing debate over the lack of promotion and relegation between Liga MX and Liga de Expansión. For teams in the second division, the issue is about more than one club: it determines the competitive value of winning a championship if that result does not open a sporting route to the first division.
UdeG had already stated its position
In July, Leones Negros shared a letter to its fans defending sporting merit as a principle of soccer, as reported by ESPN. That earlier stance helps explain that the October response did not arise solely from reports about a 19th team. It is part of a sustained push regarding the rules of the competition.
The sporting route, assembly decisions and legal proceedings are distinct matters. A team’s call for the return of promotion does not mean there is already a ruling reinstating it, nor does the admission of any lawsuit require an ongoing tournament to be changed immediately.
The stadium is not the same as a spot in the league
The statement coincides with the unveiling of the stadium project that Atlas and Leones Negros would share in Ciudad UdeG. Having a new home planned for 2030 may be relevant to the club’s infrastructure, but it does not replace the rules that determine which division it plays in.
To follow this issue, it is worth waiting for documents and announcements that clarify actual decisions. A formal expansion of the league would require published conditions; a court order would need to be read in light of its specific scope. Until then, the verifiable news is the official’s refusal to buy a spot.
evovo’s special report on the five injunctions reported by Del Real explains the difference between admitting a lawsuit and ruling on the merits of the dispute. Both stories are part of the debate over promotion and relegation, but they are not the same proceeding and do not allow its outcome to be predicted.
Special report: What the five injunctions over promotion and relegation mean
