FC St. Pauli, VfB Stuttgart and TSV 1860 Munich were promoted to the Bundesliga while Bonner SC, Göttingen 05, Wacker 04 Berlin, VfL Wolfsburg, Röchling Völklingen, Jahn Regensburg and BSV Schwenningen were relegated to the Oberligas and Amateurligas.
Bundesliga from the Oberliga and Amateurligas while Bayer 05 Uerdingen and Hannover 96 had been relegated to the 2.
The league's top scorers:[1] For the 1976–77 season saw BSV Schwenningen, Eintracht Trier, FV Würzburg 04 and KSV Baunatal promoted to the 2.
The league's top scorers:[2] The final place in the Bundesliga was contested between the two runners-up in the Nord and Süd divisions.
TSV 1860 Munich were promoted to the Bundesliga after a third game was made necessary to decide the series.