Sunderland will kick off their Championship campaign against one of boss Tony Mowbray's former clubs Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light on the opening weekend in front of the Sky Sports cameras. The Black Cats will have to wait an extra day to get out of the starting blocks, with Kieran McKenna's newly-promoted Tractor Boys - who finished runners-up in League One last season - set to travel to Wearside on Sunday, August 6, with kick-off at 5pm.
Sunderland will then face a Carabao Cup first round tie in midweek, with the draw for that competition set to take place this afternoon. And then they will make an early return to Deepdale to take on Preston North End, where they clinched a play-off spot on the final day of last season, to face Ryan Lowe's side on Saturday, August 12.
August is rounded off with a home game against Rotherham United on Saturday, August 19, and then a trip to the CBS Arena to take on last season's losing play-off finalists Coventry City a week later. Sunderland's final game before the September international break sees them face their first real test of the season when Southampton, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday, September 2.
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Other highlights include the Wear-Tees fixture against Middlesbrough on October 7, with the return at the Riverside Stadium on February 3. A busy December will see Sunderland play five games, including the festive programme which involves a Boxing Day trip to Hull City, followed by a visit to Rotherham's New York Stadium three days later, and then a New Year's Day home game against Preston. Easter begins with a long trip to South Wales to face Cardiff City on Good Friday at the end of March, followed by an Easter Monday home game against Blackburn Rovers.
The run-in starts in earnest in April with a midweek away game at Leeds United, followed by a visit to West Bromwich Albion, and then a home game against Millwall. Sunderland will head to Watford for their final away game at the end of the month, before newly-promoted Sheffield Wednesday - who won promotion via the League One play-offs last season - visit Wearside on the final day.
Other fixtures to look out for include a trip to Stoke City, where former Sunderland boss Alex Neil is in charge, on October 21, and three days later Sunderland visit Leicester City, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, just seven years after winning the title. Leeds were also relegated last season and they will visit the Stadium of Light on December 12, while the Black Cats' longest away trip of the season will see them travel to last season's League One champions Plymouth Argyle on November 25.
Sunderland 2023-24 Championship fixtures
August
Sun 6 Ipswich Town (h) 5pm
Sat 12 Preston North End (a) 3pm
Sat 19 Rotherham United (h) 3pm
Sat 26 Coventry City (a) 3pm
September
Sat 2 Southampton (h) 3pm
Sat 16 Queens Park Rangers (a) 3pm
Wed 20 Blackburn Rovers (a) 7.45pm
Sat 23 Cardiff City (h) 3pm
Sat 30 Sheffield Wednesday (a) 3pm
October
Wed 4 Watford (h) 7.45
Sat 7 Middlesbrough (h) 3pm
Sat 21 Stoke City (a) 3pm
Tue 24 Leicester City (a) 7.45pm
Sat 28 Norwich City (h) 3pm
November
Sat 4 Swansea City (a) 3pm
Sat 11 Birmingham City (h) 3pm
Sat 25 Plymouth Argyle (a) 3pm
Wed 29 Huddersfield Town (h) 7.45pm
December
Sat 2 Millwall (a) 3pm
Sat 9 West Bromwich Albion (h) 3pm
Tue 12 Leeds United (h) 7.45pm
Sat 16 Bristol City (a) 3pm
Sat 23 Coventry City (h) 3pm
Tue 26 Hull City (a) 3pm
Fri 29 Rotherham United (a) 3pm
January
Mon 1 Preston North End (h) 3pm
Sat 13 Ipswich Town (a) 3pm
Sat 20 Hull City (h) 3pm
Sat 27 Stoke City (h) 3pm
February
Sat 3 Middlesbrough (a) 3pm
Sat 10 Plymouth Argyle (h) 3pm
Wed 14 Huddersfield Town (a) 7.45pm
Sat 17 Birmingham City (a) 3pm
Sat 24 Swansea City (h) 3pm
March
Sat 2 Norwich City (a) 3pm
Tues 5 Leicester City (h) 7.45pm
Sat 9 Southampton (a) 3pm
Sat 16 Queens Park Rangers (h) 3pm
Fri 29 Cardiff City (a) 3pm
April
Mon 1 Blackburn Rovers (h) 3pm
Sat 6 Bristol City (h) 3pm
Tue 9 Leeds United (a) 7.45pm
Sat 13 West Bromwich Albion (a) 3pm
Sat 20 Millwall (h) 3pm
Sat 27 Watford (a) 3pm
May
Sat 4 Sheffield Wednesday (h) 3pm
Dates and kick-off times subject to change
