Declan Bonner’s Donegal will learn their 2018 Ulster Championship opponents when the draw takes place tonight.
2018 sees the Super Eight series come into being, when the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals will be played off in a new grouped format.
Bonner succeeded Rory Gallagher as the Donegal manager last month and has put his new backroom team – including assistant manager Paul McGonigle, trainer John McElholm and coach Karl Lacey – in place.
Bonner hopes to be able to return Leo McLoone and Odhrán Mac Niallais to the county panel for next summer, but has already indicated that his squad will be open-ended.
Donegal will have a tough League campaign with away games in Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone and Monaghan.
For the Super Eight series in 2018, teams will be split into two groups.
Group One will be contain the Munster and Connacht champions, along with the Ulster and Leinster runners-up or the teams who beat them in Round Four of the All-Ireland qualifiers.
The Ulster and Leinster champions will be in group two, along with the Connacht and Munster runners-up or the teams who beat them in round four of the qualifiers.
Following his appointment, Bonner said: “Our ambition is to be competitive and we have to aim for the Super Eight. The easiest way to get in there is by winning the Ulster Championship. Ulster will be a minefield again. It’s going to be a tough one.
“I hear the word transition mentioned. That is fair enough, but I would hope that we will be very competitive. A number of experienced players will come back into the fold and others who are performing well will get an opportunity. The future of Donegal is bright.”
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