In 1997, they were promoted to the Verbandsliga Württemberg for the first time and managed to become runners-up in their first season.

In the same year, the club won the WFV-Pokal and thereby qualified for the first round of the 1998–99 DFB-Pokal, where they lost 3–0 to Stuttgarter Kickers.

In 2000 the Sportfreunde Dorfmerkingen won the Verbandsliga and were again promoted to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg.

After a further relegation from the Verbandsliga in 2007, the club played in the seventh-tier Landesliga Württemberg, Division 2, until they were promoted in 2017.

They won the Verbandsliga Württemberg title in 2019 to return to the fifth-level Oberliga Baden-Württemberg.