The 2023-24 Championnat National 3 is the seventh season of the fifth tier in the French football league system in its current format. For this season only, the competition is contested by 154 clubs split geographically across 11 groups of 14 teams. The teams include amateur clubs (although a few are semi-professional) and the reserve teams of professional clubs. The competition starts on 27 August 2023 and is scheduled to end on 19 May 2024.
Teams
On 13 July 2023, the FFF ratified the constitution of the competition, and published the groups, although there were still some issues to be resolved at the time of publishing.
Changes from the 2022–23 season were as follows:
Teams joining the division
Évreux, Rennes (res), Vannes, SM Caen (res), Chartres, Reims (res), Sainte-Geneviève, Metz (res), Belfort, Saint-Maur, Sète, Saint-Priest, Lyon (res), Canet Roussillon, Louhans-Cuiseaux, Vierzon, Moulins Yzeure, Stade Bordelais and Nantes (res) finished in relegation positions in 2022–23 Championnat National 2 Lyon La Duchère were administratively relegated by the DNCG from 2022–23 Championnat National 2. 36 teams gained promotion from the various Régional 1 leagues.
Teams leaving the division
Libourne, La Roche, Avoine Chinon, Cannes, Mâcon, Biesheim, Feignies Aulnoye, Vire, Dinan Léhon, Aubervilliers and Bourgoin-Jallieu were champions of each group, and were promoted to 2023–24 Championnat National 2. Béziers finished top of their group, but were denied promotion by the DNCG, and failed to appeal successfully. Toulouse (res) were promoted as runners-up. Mont-de-Marsan, Guéret, Neuville, Portes Entre-Deux-Mers, Pouzauges, Changé, Beaucouzé, La Roche-sur-Yon,Le Mans (res), Montargis, Dreux, Chartres (res), Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, Marignane GCB (res), Nice (res), Carnoux, Quetigny, Montceau, Saint-Apollinaire, Grandvillars, Morteau-Montlebon, Jarville, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Champigneulles, Épernay, Schiltigheim, Bagnols Pont, Union Saint-Jean, Balma, Rodez (res), Aigues-Mortes, Longueau, Lambres-lez-Douai, AC Amiens, Amiens SC (res), Maubeuge, Mont-Gaillard, Grand-Quevilly, Avranches (res), Gonfreville, US Montagnarde, Dol-de-Bretagne, Brest (res), Cesson, Le Mée, Blanc-Mesnil, Paris Saint-Germain (res), Paris FC (res) and Les Ulis, Montluçon, Lyon La Duchère (res), Aix-les-Bains and Domérat finished in the relegation zones and were relegated to Régional 1 for the 2023–24 season. Cherbourg were excluded from National competitions by the Ligue de Normandie, and will be relegated to Régional 1. Gazélec Ajaccio were placed into liquidation in January 2023, which resulted in their removal from the league and annulment of all their results.
AS Béziers
Having been denied promotion, Béziers were placed in Group A when the groups were announced. Subsequently, on 20 July 2023, the DNCG announced Béziers would be downgraded to Régional 1 for financial irregularities. An appeal followed, which was confirmed as unsuccessful on 31 July 2023. Because the decision came after the constitution of the competition was ratified, no team will be reprieved and Group A will take place with 13 teams.
Stade Pontivyen and Redon
Although declared as part of the division as champions of their Régional 1 group, Redon were eventually denied their promotion on 25 August 2023, one day before the start of the season, after a protracted legal battle, with Stade Pontivyen being promoted in their place.
Promotion and relegation
If eligible, the top team in each group is promoted to Championnat National 2. If a team finishing top of the group is ineligible, or declines promotion, the next eligible team in that group is promoted.
This season a total of 37 teams will be relegated to Régional 1, as a result of the restructuring of the French leagues. This will result in teams finishing in the bottom three places being relegated, along with the four worst eleventh-placed clubs, calculated from results against the teams placed 5th to 10th in their group.
Reserve teams whose training centres are categorised as category 2B or lower cannot be promoted to Championnat National 2 by the rules of the competition.
