The Black Cats face Coventry City on Sunday in their first Championship game in over four years.
Alex Neil’s side will be hoping to get off to the best possible start in-front of their own fans and in-front of the TV cameras when they welcome Mark Robins’ side.
The hype surrounding the start of a new season is beginning to ramp up and of course with that, comes plenty of predictions about how the next 46 games will unfold for Sunderland and all of their new Championship rivals.
Here, we take a look at the Daily Mirror’s pre-season Championship predictions to see where they believe Sunderland will finish in the league.
Do these predictions shock you? How do you think Sunderland will do this season? Follow us on our social media channels and let us know your thoughts there.
5. Huddersfield Town (5th)
The Terriers were just one game away from a return to the Premier League last year after a fantastic season. However, they have subsequently lost their manager in Carlos Corberan and are facing an unknown future. Despite this, the Daily Mirror predict that Huddersfield will have another strong season. Photo: Mike Hewitt
6. Preston North End (6th)
Ryan Lowe has now had a fair amount of time to assess his squad and shape it the way he wants to. If he can repeat his successes as Plymouth Argyle manager at Deepdale, then the Daily Mirror believe Preston could be in for a successful season. Photo: Clive Brunskill
7. Luton Town (7th)
Luton were one of the surprise packages last season, earning themselves an unlikely playoff place. Under the guidance of Nathan Jones, the Daily Mirror are predicting that the Hatters will be in and amongst it once again next season. Photo: Justin Setterfield
8. Millwall (8th)
Millwall finished just six points outside of the playoffs last year and the Daily Mirror expect them to repeat these exploits this season. Photo: Justin Setterfield