The league was formed at the end of the 2007–08 season, to replace the previously existing Bezirksoberligas at this level.

With the changes to the German football league system in 2008 that went alongside the introduction of the 3.

These four new Verbandsligas replaced the previously existing four Bezirksoberligas (BOL), who were, until then, divided into northern, southern, eastern and western divisions.

Additionally, the regional alignment of the four new Verbandsligas differed from the Bezirksoberligas they replaced, making the change from one to the other more than just a renaming of leagues.

[2] For the 2020–21 season, however, relegation was suspended after the previous one and the league temporarily contracted to 12 teams, losing eight from 2019–20 to the recreated Süd-Ost division.