The 1999/2000 season was the last time that two groups of eight teams were played. Due to the new division into leagues for the following season 2000/01 , in which the number of teams in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga was increased from 32 to 48, there were no relegated teams and 14 promoted teams in the 2nd Bundesliga this season. Two other teams rose directly from the Regionalliga to the 1st Bundesliga .
From the next season, four groups, North, East, South and West, each with six teams, were played instead of the previous two groups with eight teams each. The newly formed groups of the 2nd Bundesliga were replenished in very different regions with teams from the respective regional league. In the north and east all six teams in the group came from the regional league, in the south and west only the regional league champions rose. Newcomers were: