In 1964 the club was presented with an opportunity to be promoted after the league decided to increase the number of clubs from 14 to 16. That year, the worst first division club, Nacional de Guadalajara, played a promotional playoff tournament against Segunda División de México Petroleros de Ciudad Madero. Poza Rica and Veracruz had finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th (not counting Cruz Azul who had earn an automatic promotion after winning the tournament). That tournament ended with Nacional de Guadalajara and Veracruz earning first and second with Petroleros de Ciudad Madero third and Poza Rica fourth. The club had returned to the first division after 12 years of bitter, bitter waiting.