The 2017–18 Primera División de Nicaragua season was divided into two tournaments (Apertura and Clausura) and determined the 69th and 70th champions in the history of the league. The Apertura tournament was played in the second half of 2017, while the Clausura was played in the first half of 2018.
Format
The Apertura play-off format was changed from previous years, while the Clausura used the same 4-team play-off format. For the Apertura, the top four teams from the regular stage advanced to a "quadrangular" double-round robin instead of a play-off stage. The regular stage and quadrangular winners would have played to decide the tournament's champion, but ultimately the same team won both and the final was not necessary. The same format was recently adopted by the Costa Rican Primera División, but for both half seasons.
At the end of the 2016–17 Primera División, Nandasmo finished last in the aggregate table and were relegated to the Segunda División. Taking their place was the champions from the Segunda División, Deportivo Ocotal.
The 9th place team in the aggregate table, Deportivo Sebaco, faced the second place team from the Segunda División, San Francisco Masachapa, in a playoff for a spot in the Primera División. San Francisco Masachapa won the playoff 3-2 on aggregate and were promoted, while Deportivo Sebaco were relegated.
A new rule was introduced this season, that clubs can have four foreign players per club and can only add a new player if there is an injury or a player is released and it's before the close of the season transfer window.
