Replacing the 2nd Bundesliga, this league represents the second-level of ice hockey in Germany, below the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
The league operated with 12 teams during the 2013–14 season.
The championship play-offs:[2] In the relegation round the four bottom placed clubs played a best-of-seven knock-out series first in which EC Bad Nauheim defeated Eispiraten Crimmitschau and Heilbronner Falken the ESV Kaufbeuren.
The two DEL2 clubs retained their league place while EC Kassel Huskies and Löwen Frankfurt won promotion.
The other two Oberliga clubs, EHC Freiburg and VER Selb, remained at this level.