The Norwegian Second Division, also called 2. divisjon is the third-highest level of the Norwegian football league system.
 | |
| Founded | 2026 (as 2. divisjon) 2016–2025 (as PostNord-ligaen) 2012–2015 (as Oddsen-ligaen) 2009–2011 (as Fair Play ligaen) 1991–2008 (as 2. divisjon) 1963–1990 (as 3. divisjon) |
|---|---|
| Country | Norway |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of clubs | 28 (divided into 2 groups of 14) |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Norwegian First Division |
| Relegation to | Norwegian Third Division |
| Domestic cup | Norwegian Cup |
| Current champions | Sandnes Ulf (Group 1), Strømmen (Group 2) (2025) |
| Website | fotball.no |
| Current: 2026 Norwegian Second Division | |
There are 28 teams divided into two groups, and at the end of the season the winner of each group earns promotion to the second-highest division, 1. divisjon. The teams finishing in second place in their respective group will qualify for the promotion play-offs, where they will face each other. The winner will play against the 14th placed team in 1. divisjon for promotion. The bottom three teams in each group are relegated to 3. divisjon.
2. divisjon is the highest league a reserve team can participate in, and only reserve teams from the Eliteserien clubs (first tier) are allowed to enter. The participation of reserve teams stirs debate from time to time.[1]
History
editBetween 1963 and 1990, 2. divisjon was the second highest level of the Norwegian football league system, therefore the name of the third highest level was 3. divisjon. When the highest level was rebranded in 1991, this level changed its name to 2. divisjon. From 2009 to 2011, the official name of the league was Fair Play ligaen, and from 2012 to 2015 the name was Oddsen-ligaen (after the main sponsor Norsk Tipping's betting-game called Oddsen).[2][3] The league was from 2016 until 2025 branded as PostNord-ligaen, sponsored by PostNord.[4]
Current members
editThe following 28 clubs are competing in the 2025 Norwegian Second Division.[5]
Winners
edit1991–1995
editAll group winners, excluding second teams of top division teams, were promoted to 1. divisjon.
1996–2000
editEach group winner played qualification play-offs to decide which teams promote to 1. divisjon. Teams in bold promoted to 1. divisjon through qualification play-offs.
2001–2016
editAll group winners, excluding second teams of top division teams, were promoted to 1. divisjon.
2017–
editTeams in bold were promoted to 1. divisjon.
Teams in italics were relegated to 2. divisjon.
| Season | Group 1 | Group 2 | Play-off teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Ham-Kam | Nest-Sotra | Fredrikstad (1. div), Raufoss (2. div, gr. 1), Notodden (2. div, gr. 2) |
| 2018 | Raufoss | Skeid | Åsane (1. div), Fredrikstad (2. div, gr. 1), KFUM Oslo (2. div, gr. 2) |
| 2019 | Stjørdals-Blink | Grorud | Notodden (1. div), Kvik Halden (2. div, gr. 1), Åsane (2. div, gr. 2) |
| 2020 | Fredrikstad | Bryne | Stjørdals-Blink (1. div), Skeid (2. div, gr. 1), Asker (2. div, gr. 2) |
| 2021 | Kongsvinger | Skeid | Stjørdals-Blink (1. div), Hødd (2. div, gr. 1), Arendal (2. div, gr. 2) |
| 2022 | Moss | Hødd | Skeid (1. div), Arendal (2. div, gr. 1), Ull/Kisa (2. div, gr. 2) |
| 2023 | Egersund | Levanger | Hødd (1. div), Lyn (2. div, gr. 1), Tromsdalen (2. div, gr. 2) |
| 2024 | Hødd | Skeid | Mjøndalen (1. div), Jerv (2. div, gr. 1), Tromsdalen (2. div, gr. 2) |
| 2025 | Sandnes Ulf | Strømmen | Moss (1. div), Brattvåg (2. div, gr. 1), Grorud (2. div, gr. 2) |
Reserve teams
editReserve teams of clubs from the two top divisions can participate in the 2. divisjon. Reserve teams of clubs from the 1. divisjon can not play in the 2. divisjon, so if a team is relegated from the 1. divisjon, the club's reserve team will be relegated to the 3. divisjon regardless of their final position in the league.[6]
Sponsorship
editFrom 2016 until 2025 the 2. divisjon had its title sponsorship rights sold to PostNord.[4]
| Period | Sponsor | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1963–1990 | No sponsor | 3. divisjon |
| 1991–2008 | 2. divisjon | |
| 2009–2011 | Fair Play ligaen | |
| 2012–2015 | Norsk Tipping | Oddsen-ligaen |
| 2016–2025 | PostNord | PostNord-ligaen |
| 2026– | No sponsor | 2. divisjon |
Records and statistics
editTeam records
edit
2001–2016edit
|
2017–edit
|
Average attendances
edit| Season | Average |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 258 |
| 2015 | 285 |
| 2016 | 262 |
| 2017 | 350 |
| 2018 | 493 |
| 2019 | 474 |
Top ten most attended games
edit| No. | Season | Game | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018 | Fredrikstad–Moss | 10 413 |
| 2 | 2019 | Fredrikstad–Byåsen | 7 912 |
| 3 | 2002 | Fredrikstad–Kvik Halden | 7 013 |
| 4 | 2018 | Fredrikstad–Asker | 5 691 |
| 5 | 2002 | Fredrikstad–Eidsvold Turn | 5 370 |
| 6 | 2003 | Kongsvinger–Ullensaker/Kisa | 5 024 |
| 7 | 2010 | Hamarkameratene–Brumunddal | 4 565 |
| 8 | 2019 | Fredrikstad–Kvik Halden | 4 462 |
| 9 | 2018 | Fredrikstad–Raufoss | 4 291 |
| 10 | 2019 | Fredrikstad–Stjørdals-Blink | 4 245 |
References
edit- ↑ Aarre, Eivind (5 September 2007). "Foreslår 2.-lagene i egen liga". Stavanger Aftenblad. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-04.
- ↑ "Fair Play Ligaen 2009". Mo IL. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ↑ "2. divisjon skifter navn". nettavisen.no (in Norwegian). Nettavisen. 7 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- 1 2 "PostNord forlenger ikke samarbeidet med Norges Fotballforbund" (in Norwegian). PostNord. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ↑ "Her er avdelingene i PostNord- og Norsk Tipping-ligaen 2025". Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian). 6 December 2024.
- ↑ Norwegian Football Association website (in Norwegian)
External links
edit- Current 2. divisjon table, results and fixtures at Soccerway
- 2. divisjon stats at Fotballen.eu
- DF-02 (divisjonsforeningen av 2002) an interest group for the 2. divisjon