Eventually Hamburg II announced that they would withdraw from the league in the following season due to financial concerns.
Cloppenburg and Löchgau, the tenth-place finishers from both divisions, were thus spared a relegation playoff against each other and instead stay in the league.
Note: Reserve teams from Fußball-Bundesliga sides were not eligible for promotion.
BV Cloppenburg and FV Löchgau were supposed to play each other on a home and away basis as 10th-place finishers to determine a fifth relegation.
After Hamburg II announced on 4 May 2011 not to participate in next season's 2nd Bundesliga due to monetary reasons, those matches were canceled with both teams saved from relegation.