The 2002/03 season of the Oberliga Nordost was the twelfth season of the Football Oberliga Nordost and the ninth as the fourth highest division in Germany. Similar to the 2001/02 preseason , the promotion regulation was valid with two relegation games between the two relay winners to determine who would be promoted to the regional league . From the northern relay, however, only two teams were relegated to the national leagues in the preseason, which led to an increase in the relay to 19 teams for three promoted teams from the national leagues. In order to align with the southern relay, which still consists of 18 teams, four relegated teams from the northern relay were planned in 2002/03 with only three relegated members from the southern relay. Because of the simultaneous relegation of SV Babelsberg , who played in the regional league in 2002/03 , the adjustment took place only after the 2003/04 league season .
In the north season, FC Schönberg won the season ahead of second representatives from Hertha BSC and Hansa Rostock . Of the year-climbers merely could TSG Neustrelitz established in the North-season, while the other climbers as well as Eintracht Schwerin and the first start of the season from a merger of the clubs Lok Altmark Stendal and 1. FC Stendal resulting 1. FC Lok Stendal relegated to the association leagues. Stendal was determined to be relegated at an early stage due to irregularities in the merger process, but at the end of the season was also relegated to 16th place in the table.
In the southern season, FC Sachsen Leipzig won the season ahead of FC Carl Zeiss Jena . The 1. FC Magdeburg played as last year relegated from the Regional no role in the promotion race and finished the season only the tenth place in the table. Last year's promoted Anhalt Dessau was deducted four points at the end of the season due to the use of an ineligible player. Dessau still managed to stay in the league, as did the other promoted teams from VfB Pößneck and FV Dresden 06 .
The relegation games between the winners of the north and south seasons were played by FC Schönberg 95 and FC Sachsen Leipzig. Although Schönberg had scored the most goals of all Northeast Oberliga teams during the season, Leipzig won the relegation with two wins without conceding a goal and thus rose to the regional league. The first leg on June 8, 2003 in Schönberg was won 2-0, the second leg on June 16 in front of 13,106 spectators at the Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark was won 1-0. Two years later, in 2004/05 , Schönberg was even relegated to the regional league, while Leipzig established itself in the league after being relegated again in the 2003/04 regional league season.