A 12th place finished was achieved the following year, despite spending over half of the season in the relegation zone. An improved 4th place finished followed in the shortened 2019/20 season, which was affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. When the season was suspended, Oxford were 3rd in the table, but following an agreement from clubs to end the season early, the U's dropped one place to 4th after the final table was decided under an unweighted points per game system. The play-offs continued as normal, where United faced Portsmouth in the semi-final. Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg. United won 5-4 on penalties when the game ended 1-1 after extra time. In the final behind closed doors at Wembley, Oxford lost 2-1 to Wycombe Wanderers.