Promotion to the 2. Bundesliga

Promotion to the 2. Bundesliga
Organising bodiesDFL and DFB
Founded1974; 50 years ago (1974)
RegionGermany
Number of teams2 or 3
Qualifier for2. Bundesliga
Current championsSSV Ulm
Preußen Münster
Jahn Regensburg
(2023–24)
2024–25 3. Liga

The Promotion to the 2. Bundesliga (German: Aufstiegsrunde zur 2. Bundesliga) are an end-of-season competition, held annually to determine the clubs that were promoted from the Amateurligas, later the Amateur Oberligas to the 2. Bundesligas. It is necessary because there are more third division champions than promotion spots available.

Originally there were fifteen Amateurligas which were reduced to eight Amateur Oberligas in 1978. From 1981 the 2. Bundesliga was reduced to one single league.

After the introduction of the Regionalliga in 1994, the promotion round was greatly reduced in length, generally only involving two teams. Eventually, after 2000, all promotion spots to the 2. Bundesliga were direct with no deciders necessary. Since the 2008–09 season, after the introduction of the 3. Liga, a promotion round was reintroduced.