1974 marked the introduction of the 2nd division of the Football Bundesliga . 40 clubs, divided into two Conferences (North and South), competed for promotion into the Bundesliga. 1981 marked the introduction of a single 2nd Bundesliga of 20 teams. In the 1991 / 92 season, the former DDR 's Clubs participated as well. This was managed by returning to a two conference system (with 12 teams in each conference), 1992/93 was a "Mammoth Season", with 24 teams competing in a single competition. Since 1994/95, there have been 18 teams in the second division. The most successful team was Fortuna Köln (1376 points in 970 matches)
During the 2004/2005 season, it was revealed during the Bundesliga Scandal Of 2005 that several matches in the 2nd Bundesliga and the Regionalliga were manipulated by Referee Robert Hoyzer . The match between LR Ahlen and SV Wacker Burghausen in the 2nd Bundesliga had to be replayed on April 27 2005 .
- Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981-91 it had 20. The 1991/92 season was played in two groups of 12 teams each; 1992/93 again in one group with 24 teams, 1993/94 with 20 teams.
- Teams promoted to the higher league: 3; 1981-91 there was a relegation round, in 1991/92 there was 1 promotion per group.
- Number of relegations into the regional league (until 1994: Upper league): 4; 1991/92: 2-3 per group (inclusive relegation); 1992/93: 7.
- The 1st to 3rd placed teams gain promotion into the Bundesliga .
- The 15th to 18th placed teams are relegated into the Regional Leagues .
Promotions were decided from 1974 to 1994 in relegation rounds. Since 1995 there have been 4 teams promoted from the regional leagues.
- 1992: Wuppertaler SV , VfL Wolfsburg , SpVgg Unterhaching
- 1993: 1860 München , Rot-Weiss Essen , Tennis Borussia Berlin
- 1994: Fortuna Düsseldorf , FSV Frankfurt , FSV Zwickau
- 1995: SpVgg Unterhaching , VfB Lübeck , FC Carl Zeiss Jena , Arminia Bielefeld
- 1996: VfB Oldenburg , Rot-Weiss Essen , FC Gütersloh , Stuttgarter Kickers
- 1997: SpVgg Greuther Fürth , Energie Cottbus , SG Wattenscheid 09 , 1. FC Nürnberg
- 1998: SSV Ulm 1846 , Rot-Weiß Oberhausen , Hannover 96 , Tennis Borussia Berlin
- 1999: SV Waldhof Mannheim , Kickers Offenbach , Chemnitzer FC , Alemannia Aachen
- 2000: LR Ahlen , SSV Reutlingen , 1. FC Saarbrücken , VfL Osnabrück
- 2001: SV Babelsberg 03 , 1. FC Union Berlin , Karlsruher SC , 1. FC Schweinfurt 05
- 2002: Wacker Burghausen , Eintracht Trier , VfB Lübeck , Eintracht Braunschweig
- 2003: Jahn Regensburg , SpVgg Unterhaching , Erzgebirge Aue , VfL Osnabrück
- 2004: Rot-Weiß Erfurt , 1. FC Saarbrücken , Rot-Weiss Essen , Dynamo Dresden
- 2005: Eintracht Braunschweig , SC Paderborn 07 , Kickers Offenbach , Sportfreunde Siegen
SC Fortuna Köln was the team most consistently in the 2nd Bundesliga. Up to 2000 it spent 26 consecutive years in the 2nd Bundesliga.
- 1990: KSV Hessen Kassel , SpVgg Bayreuth , Alemannia Aachen , SpVgg Unterhaching
- 1991: Rot-Weiss Essen , Preußen Münster , TSV Havelse , 1. FC Schweinfurt 05
- 1992 Nord: Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin , BSV Stahl Brandenburg
- 1992 Süd: TSV 1860 München , Hallescher FC , FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt
- 1993: SpVgg Unterhaching , Eintracht Braunschweig , VfL Osnabrück , Fortuna Düsseldorf , VfB Oldenburg , SV Darmstadt 98 , FC Remscheid
- 1994: Stuttgarter Kickers , FC Carl Zeiss Jena , Wuppertaler SV , Rot-Weiss Essen , Tennis Borussia Berlin
- 1995: 1. FC Saarbrücken , FC Homburg , FSV Frankfurt
- 1996: Chemnitzer FC , Hannover 96 , 1.FC Nürnberg , SG Wattenscheid 09
- 1997: SV Waldhof Mannheim , VfB Lübeck , Rot-Weiss Essen , VfB Oldenburg
- 1998: VfB Leipzig , FC Carl Zeiss Jena , FSV Zwickau , SV Meppen
- 1999: FC Gütersloh , KFC Uerdingen , SG Wattenscheid 09 , Fortuna Düsseldorf
- 2000: Stuttgarter Kickers , Fortuna Köln , Kickers Offenbach , Karlsruher SC
- 2001: VfL Osnabrück , SSV Ulm 1846 , Stuttgarter Kickers , Chemnitzer FC
- 2002: SpVgg Unterhaching , 1. FC Saarbrücken , 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 , SV Babelsberg 03
- 2003: Eintracht Braunschweig , SSV Reutlingen , FC St. Pauli , SV Waldhof Mannheim
- 2004: Jahn Regensburg , VfB Lübeck , 1. FC Union Berlin , VfL Osnabrück
- 2005: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen , Eintracht Trier , FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt , Rot-Weiss Essen
- 2006: Sportfreunde Siegen
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