The winning team will qualify directly for promotion to the 2017 Veikkausliiga, the second has to play a play-off against the eleventh team from Veikkausliiga to decide who will play in that division. The bottom 2 teams will qualify directly for relegation to Kakkonen. A total of ten teams contested in the league, including six sides from the 2015 season, FF Jaro and KTP who was relegated from Veikkausliiga and GrIFK and KPV who promoted from Kakkonen after winning the promotion play-offs. MP and VIFK were relegated from 2015 Ykkönen.