The league was founded in 1901. From the 2005/06 season it was played in two seasons (west and east) of 16 teams each. The winners and runners up in the Hungarian National Championship I on. For the 2013/14 season there was a league reform, which means that the Nemzeti Bajnokság II will only be held in one season from now on. Thus there were eight relegated teams per season and additional relegation playoffs between the sixth to eighth place in the transition season 2012/13. The new single-track league consisted of 16 teams and was increased to 20 teams in 2016/17. The first two teams move up to the Nemzeti Bajnokság I.