Kerala will open their campaign against Gujarat on October 11 in the first phase of the Santosh Trophy National Football Championship.
Seven-time champions Kerala are placed in Group A along with hosts Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat.
Nine teams from six groups will progress to the final phase to be held in Arunachal Pradesh.
Defending champions Karnataka, runners-up Meghalaya and hosts Arunachal will join the nine qualifiers in the final stage.
The 12 teams will be divided into two groups six teams each. The top two will advance to the semifinals.
Kerala, who failed to qualify for the semifinals last season, have named Satheevan Balan as head coach.
Kerala's fixtures: Versus Gujarat, October 11, 9 am
Versus Jammu & Kashmir, October 13, 9 am
Versus Chhattisgarh, October 15, 9 am
Versus Goa, October 17, 4 pm
