 The reasons for this were the fact that Lower Saxony, as the strongest association in northern Germany was permitted to send more than one team to the promotion round and the high finishes of reserve teams of the likes of Hannover 96, Arminia Hannover and Eintracht Braunschweig in the league, which were ineligible to enter the promotion rounds.The league strength for most of these season stood at sixteen clubs.After the 1973–74 season, the "Regionalliga Nord" was disbanded in favor of the 2nd Bundesliga Nord.