The league is split into northern and southern divisions.
[1] The 2016–17 season of the NOFV-Oberliga Nord saw four new clubs in the league.
VSG Altglienicke, SV Grün-Weiß Brieselang and FC Mecklenburg Schwerin were all promoted from the Verbandsligas while FSV Optik Rathenow was relegated from the Regionalliga Nordost.
BSG Chemie Leipzig and SV Merseburg 99 were promoted from the Landesligas or Verbandsligas while VfB Germania Halberstadt was relegated from the Regionalliga Nordost and Brandenburger SC Süd 05 moved from the northern division.
The two second-placed teams in the NOFV-Oberliga played each other for one more spot in the Regionalliga next season: