This was the year that Sunderland's decade-long stay in the top flight came to an end.
Read our review of the club's 2016/17 Premier League season with expert analysis.
Finishing position: 20th (-3)
Total points: 24 (-15)
FA Cup: Third round
EFL Cup: Fourth round
Top scorer: Jermain Defoe (14)
Season review
Sunderland's summer was disrupted by Sam Allardyce's decision to take the England job and it only went downhill from there as the Black Cats' luck ran out. David Moyes was supposed to bring stability but only succeeded in ending their 10-year stay in the top flight.
The Scot had to wait until November for his first Premier League win and while Jermain Defoe provided an intermittent threat up front there was little support. Not enough of the new signings contributed with £8m man Papy Djilobodji among the many disappointments.
A 4-0 win over Crystal Palace was the ultimate freak result - Sunderland's only victory in any competition between Christmas and April - and relegation was confirmed with four games to go. For all Moyes' mistakes, few fans were truly surprised that it came to this.
EXPERT ANALYSIS - MATT LE TISSIER
Managerial review
It's obviously did not go particularly well for David Moyes but he wasn't really given much of a chance with what he had to improve that team.
Player of the season: Jordan Pickford
It's only between Jermain Defoe and Jordan Pickford really and Defoe has gone missing for the second part of the season, so I'm giving it to Pickford.
2017/18 prospects
They've got just the small matter of needing to improve everywhere except for in goal. I doubt very much they'll keep Defoe with Premier League clubs sure to be interested and keeping Pickford is going to be a challenge as well. I think it will be a struggle for them to come straight back up because there's so much that needs doing to that squad that it might take a while for the changes they need to make to come good.