Fujitsu, Obic to clash in 2015 divisional play

The Fujitsu Frontiers will face the team they dethroned en route to their first-ever X-League championship in 2014, the Obic Seagulls, in the East Division of the 2015 season.

The Frontiers and Seagulls were grouped together in the East along with the Nojima Sagamihara Rise, All Mitsubishi Lions, Meiji Yasuda Pirates and Metropolitan Police Dept. Eagles, who return to X1 after a season in the second tier.

According to the realignment of the two Kanto region divisions, the Central Division will consist of the Lixil Deers, IBM Big Blue, Asahi Beer Silver Star, Tokyo Gas Creators, Bulls Football Club and Hurricanes.

The six teams in the West Division remained unchanged. The Elecom Kobe Finies return as defending champions for the first time.

The Frontiers and Deers won the East and Central divisions, respectively, in 2014. The Deers defeated the four-time defending league champion Seagulls in division play, then the Frontiers beat them in the semifinals of the playoffs. IBM, second to Fujitsu in the East, knocked Lixil out in the other semifinal.

Fujitsu, making its fifth trip to the Japan X Bowl, won for the first time with a 44-10 victory over IBM, which was playing for the championship for the first time in franchise history.

The 2015 season will mark the final one for using the current scheduling system, in which each team plays the other five in its division.

Starting from 2016, teams will play six regular-season games, including three against teams outside of its division that are equal in strength. The new format is aimed at increasing competitiveness and eliminating many of the current mismatches.