Club Deportivo Leones Negros de la Universidad de Guadalajara, simply known as Leones Negros UdeG or Leones Negros, is a Mexican professional football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. It competes in Liga de Expansión MX, the second level division of Mexican football, and plays its home matches at the Estadio Jalisco. Founded in 1970 as Venados UdeG, the club respresents the Universidad de Guadalajara (), it changed to its current name in 1972.
The Universidad de Guadalajara football club, nicknamed Leones Negros (Black Lions) started in the Tercera División de México, where they played for two seasons after which they gained promotion to Segunda División de México.
They reached the top division by acquiring the Primera División's franchise of Torreón, Coahuila (Club Torreón) and moving it to Guadalajara, Jalisco after the 1973-1974 season and renaming it Club Deportivo Leones Negros de la Universidad de Guadalajara.
During their first years in the Primera División de México they had several skilled Brazilian players, reason for which noted sports broadcaster ÃÂngel Fernández started to call them "Leones Negros" (the Black Lions), a nickname that stuck and remains part of the folklore of Mexican football.
In the 1975âÂÂ76, 1976âÂÂ77 and 1989âÂÂ90 seasons, the team achieved the runners-up in the Primera División. In addition, in 1978 the club won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup together with the clubs Comunicaciones F.C. from Guatemala and Defence Force F.C. from Trinidad and Tobago.
After 20 years in top flight football the team was in decline, alleged questionable financial dealings, a very poor squad and hardly any local fans (who are loyal to more popular teams like Guadalajara, better known as "Chivas" and to a lesser extent, Atlas) Leones Negros were acquired by the FMF, to make way for the reduction in the number of teams in the Primera División. Their last game was on May 27, 1994 against Atlas, in which they lost 2âÂÂ1.
After the disappearance of the team by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol, the franchise maintained the third division reserve squad, that become the main team, the club obtained a title in the verano 1997 tournament, gaining promotion to the Primera División 'A' de México where they stayed until the franchise was sold and moved to Orizaba, Veracruz in 2002. During this time the franchise was named Atlético Bachilleres, name it had since the 1970s when the reserve team was established.
Between 2002 and 2009 the team played as Cachorros UdeG in te Segunda División de México in the Norte region and a few seasons back was close to gaining promotion to the Primera División 'A' de México, first losing the final against, Académicos and then losing to Chivas La Piedad. For the Apertura 2007 season they changed stadium to Estadio Municipal Santa Rosa in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco, but have stated that some of their home games will still played at their traditional home in twice worldcup host Estadio Jalisco. In 2009, Cachorros UdeG became the reserve team of the club, a situation that remained until 2014, when it became Leones Negros UdeG Premier.
For some time businessmen, among them Jorge Vergara, tried to return the team of Club Universidad de Guadalajara to the top divisions of football in Mexico, this was achieved through the purchase of the franchise of the Primera División 'A''s C.D. TapatÃÂo for $800,000 USD from Guadalajara of which C.D. TapatÃÂo was a subsidiary.
On May 21, 2009 it was confirmed that team Club Universidad de Guadalajara entered the Primera División 'A' de México instead of C.D. TapatÃÂo, which disappeared completely.
In the Apertura 2013 tournament, Leones Negros finished 5th and entered the Liguilla, where they reached the final and ended as Champions beating Necaxa 2âÂÂ1, earning the right to compete in the Final de Ascenso and the possibility to be promoted to the 2014âÂÂ15 Liga MX.
After a hard Clausura 2014 tournament, Leones Negros ended in 4th place, but lost in the quarterfinals against Oaxaca. However, as Apertura 2013 champions, they played the Final de Ascenso against Estudiantes Tecos, who were the Clausura 2014 Champions.
After two very disputed games, both of them ended in a tie, the Promotion was defined in a penalty shoot-out, in which goalkeeper scored the final and decisive penalty, giving the Leones Negros the promotion and the right to play in the 2014âÂÂ15 Liga MX season.
Club Universidad de Guadalajara was officially relegated after only one season in the Mexican top flight on May 9, 2015. Despite winning the match against Cruz Azul 2âÂÂ0, relegation rivals Puebla managed to obtain a 2âÂÂ2 tie, thus giving them more percentage in the relegation table. As a result, UdeG returned to Ascenso MX. In the Clausura 2018 tournament the team was close to returning to Liga MX, however, in the final of the championship the team was defeated by Cafetaleros de Tapachula.
In June 2020, UdeG became a member of the Liga de Expansión MX when it replaced Ascenso MX.
The team participated in the Tercera División, finished as champions in the 1997âÂÂ98 season, losing to Atlético Carmen.
The team participated in the Segunda División, after the dissolution of Bachilleres UdeG, finished as runners-up in the Clausura 2005, losing to Académicos 4âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
The team competes in the Liga Premier, finished as runners-up of the Serie B in the Clausura 2018, losing to Orizaba 6âÂÂ1 on aggregate. It also finished as runners-up twice in the Torneo de Filiales de la Liga Premier.
The team competes in the Liga TDP, finished as champions in the 2015âÂÂ16 season, defeating Valle Verde Jiquipilas 6âÂÂ5 on aggregate. It also won the Torneo de Filiales de la Liga TDP in the 2024âÂÂ25 season, defeating Deportiva Venados "TDP" 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate.
The team was based in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, and participated in the Liga TDP, it was not eligible for promotion.