The 2016–17 3. Liga was the ninth season of the 3. Liga. Fixtures for the 2016–17 season were announced on 6 July 2016.[1]
Teams
A total of 20 teams contested the league, including 14 sides from the 2015–16 3. Liga. Dynamo Dresden and Erzgebirge Aue were directly promoted to the 2016–17 2. Bundesliga at the end of the 2015–16 season. Erzgebirge made an immediate return to the 2. Bundesliga after being relegated in 2014–15. Dynamo returned to the second level after two seasons in the third tier. The two promoted teams were replaced by FSV Frankfurt and Paderborn, who finished in the bottom two places of the 2015–16 2. Bundesliga table.
At the other end of the table, Stuttgart Kickers, Energie Cottbus and Stuttgart II were relegated to the 2016–17 Regionalliga. The three relegated teams were replaced by the three winners of the 2015–16 Regionalliga promotion playoffs. Jahn Regensburg from the Regionalliga Bayern, immediately returned to national level. Zwickau from the Regionalliga Nordost returned to third level after 16 years and will make their debut in 3. Liga. Sportfreunde Lotte from the Regionalliga West is playing its debut season in the 3. Liga.
A further place in the league was available via a two-legged play-off between Würzburger Kickers, third of the 3. Liga and MSV Duisburg, 16th of 2. Bundesliga. The tie ended 4–1 on aggregate for Bavarian side and Würzburger Kickers were promoted to the second level after making successively promotions and 38 years in lower leagues. Thus, Duisburg immediately returned to third level.
^On 10 March 2017, VfR Aalen was deducted nine points for filing in for insolvency.[20] On 15 March 2017, Aalen objected the decision.[21] The DFB rejected the appeal on 24 March 2017.[22] After Aalen again appealed against the decision, it was rejected once more on 11 April 2017.[23] On 4 May 2017, the DFB rejected the next appeal from Aalen.[24] It was again denied on 18 May 2017.[25]
^SC Paderborn were originally relegated from the 2016–17 3. Liga after finishing 18th. However, 1860 Munich, who were relegated from the 2016–17 2. Bundesliga, were unable to obtain a license for the 2017–18 3. Liga. Therefore, SC Paderborn, who submitted a 3. Liga license application, remained in the league for the 2017–18 season.[26][27]
^On 24 April 2017, FSV Frankfurt was deducted nine points for filing in for insolvency.[28] Frankfurt appealed on 27 April 2017.[29] On 4 May 2017, the appeal was rejected from the DFB.[30] Another appeal was turned down on 10 May 2017.[31] Frankfurt accepted the penalty on 17 May 2017.[32]