 Fredrikstad and Stabæk were relegated after finishing 15th and 16th respectively, while Sandnes Ulf had to play a relegation play-off against the 1. divisjon side Ullensaker/Kisa, which they won 7–1 on aggregate.After the 2012 season, Rosenborg's head coach Jan Jönsson was fired from his position, and was replaced by the head coach of the successful Norwegian under-21 team, Per Joar Hansen.Jönsson was soon appointed as head coach of Aalesund, as a replacement for Kjetil Rekdal who had also been fired.