New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS): The 11-team I-League second division will commence on November 14, the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) said on Thursday.

The league has been expanded and will be played in a new format.

The matches will be played on a home and away basis. Eleven teams will be divided in two conferences according to their geographical location and three teams from each conference would qualify to the final stage which would decide the eventual winner of the 2015-16 edition of the league, AIFF said in a statement.

Gangtok Himalayan SC (Sikkim), Mohammedan SC (West Bengal), Guwahati FC (Assam), Neroca FC (Manipur) and Fateh Hyderabad (Telangana) are clubbed in the Eastern conference while Lonestar Kashmir FC (Jammu & Kashmir), Minerva AFC (Chandigarh), PIFA, Kenkre FC, DSK Shivajians (Maharashtra) and Dempo SC (Goa) constitute the Western conference.

Five clubs - Gangtok Himalayan SC, Guwahati FC, Neroca FC, Fateh Hyderabad and Minerva AFC - will make their debut in the competition.

The league's fixture will be finalised on Oct 7.