Kickers Offenbach Rot-Weiß Frankfurt SG Egelsbach SV Wehen SV Darmstadt 98 The "new" Regionalliga Süd was actually a reformation of the "old" Regionalliga Süd which operated from 1963 to 1974 in the same region but then as the second tier of German football. Unlike the "old" Regionalliga, the new one allowed reserve teams to compete in it. Its first season saw the SpVgg Unterhaching winning the league and being promoted to the 2. Bundesliga while three out of the four teams relegated came from Hessen. Expansion of the league in 2000 After six seasons, in 2000, the number of Regionalligas was reduced from four to two. Only the Regionalligas Süd and Nord survived. The clubs of the other two were spread according to their geographical location. To make room for these extra clubs without expanding past the 18 team number, the seven bottom placed teams were supposed to be relegated. However, FC Augsburg (8th) did not receive a license for the next season and Karlsruher SC II (12th) had to drop down because the first team was relegated to the Regionalliga and regulations forbid two teams from the same club to compete in the same league at this level. The relegated clubs were: FC Augsburg Karlsruher SC II FSV Frankfurt TSF Ditzingen SG Quelle Fürth Borussia Fulda SV Lohhof In their stead, the following seven teams were admitted: From the 2. Bundesliga: Karlsruher SC Kickers Offenbach From the Regionalliga West/Südwest: Eintracht Trier SV Elversberg Sportfreunde Siegen From the Regionalliga Nordost: FC Carl Zeiss Jena Rot-Weiß Erfurt The league reform in 2008 With the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 and of a third Regionalliga, the Regionalliga West, the league became the fourth tier of German football. The clubs from the regions which joined in 2000 left again and the Regionalliga Süd was once more only made up from clubs from Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg. The make up of the leagues was: Winner and runners-up of the Regionalliga Süd will qualified for the 2. Bundesliga (unless they are reserve teams) Clubs placed third to tenth went to the new 3. Liga (only the two best placed reserve teams were to be admitted) Clubs placed eleventh to eighteens remained in the Regionalligas (only clubs from the three southern states went to the southern group) The four best teams out of the Oberligas Baden-Württemberg, Hessen and Bayern were promoted to the Regionalliga