Norwegian First Division


1. divisjon is the second-highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Each year, the top finishing teams in the 1. divisjon are promoted to the Eliteserien, and the lowest finishing teams are relegated to 2. divisjon.
1. divisjon was previously known as 2. divisjon and replaced regional league Landsdelsserien after the latter was dissolved after the 1961–62 season. The second tier was also prior to Landsdelsserien known as 1. divisjon. Formally, it was a semi-professional league. The tier has been restructured many times and consists of 16 teams at present.

History

Between 1963 and 1990, the second highest level in Norwegian football was named 2. divisjon. In 1991, due to rebranding of the top flight level in 1990, it was renamed to its initial name; 1. divisjon. 1. divisjon has been the name of this level ever since, except for periods when the league has had a sponsor-affiliated name. Between 2005 and 2013 the level was known as Adeccoligaen and from 2015 to 2020 the name is OBOS-ligaen.

Format

Previous

In the 1997 season, 1. divisjon merged from two divisions consisting of 12 teams each, to only one with 14 teams. In the 2001 season, 1. divisjon expanded from 14 to 16 teams. Only two teams were relegated in the 2000 season. In 2009, the number of teams in Eliteserien expanded from 14 to 16. Therefore, only one team was relegated to 1. divisjon, whilst three teams were promoted to Tippeligaen.

Current

Since 2012 four teams, finishing 3rd to 6th, has qualified for promotion play-offs. In the 2017 season the relegation format was changed. The previous format where four teams were relegated was replaced with a format with two relegation spots and one relegation play-off spot.
The league is contested by 16 teams. During the course of a season, each club plays the others twice, home and away, for a total of 30 games for each club, and a total of 240 games in a season. The season starts in April and lasts until early November. The top two teams will be promoted to Eliteserien, while the teams placed from third to sixth place will play a promotion-playoff against each other to earn the right to play a two-legged game against the 14th-placed team in Eliteserien to win promotion. The bottom two teams will be relegated to the 2. divisjon known as PostNord-ligaen, and the team in 14th place will play a two-legged playoff against the play-off winner among the two-second-placed teams in 2. divisjon.

Changes in competition format

Clubs

Current members

The following 16 clubs are competing in the 2019 1. divisjon, nine of which are located in Eastern Norway, four are from Western Norway, two are from Southern Norway and one is from north of the Arctic Circle:
Source:
ClubFinishing position last seasonLocationStadiumCapacity
AalesundÅlesundColor Line Stadion10,778
HamKamHamarBriskeby Arena7,800
JervGrimstadLevermyr Stadion3,300
KFUMOsloKFUM Arena1,500
KongsvingerKongsvingerGjemselund Stadion5,824
Nest-SotraSotraÅgotnes Stadion1,200
RaufossRaufossNammo Stadion2,500
SandefjordSandefjordKomplett Arena6,582
Sandnes UlfSandnesSandnes Stadion4,969
SkeidOsloNordre Åsen264
SogndalSogndalFosshaugane Campus5,622
StartKristiansandSør Arena14,563
StrømmenStrømmenStrømmen Stadion1,850
TromsdalenTromsdalenAlfheim Stadion1,695
Ullensaker/KisaJessheimJessheim Stadion3,500

Sponsorship

Ahead of the 2015 season, a six-year deal was agreed with the housing cooperative OBOS. In the period from 2015 to 2020, 1. divisjon will be named OBOS-ligaen.
PeriodSponsorName
1948–1951No sponsor1. divisjon
1951–1962No sponsorLandsdelsserien
1963–1990No sponsor2. divisjon
1991–2004No sponsor1. divisjon
2005–2013AdeccoAdeccoligaen
2014No sponsor1. divisjon
2015–OBOSOBOS-ligaen

1. divisjon has a number of official partners and suppliers. The official ball supplier for the league is Umbro who on 20 February 2020 signed the first ever contract to deliver official balls for OBOS-ligaen. The two-year deal began from the start of the 2020 season.

Statistics

From 1963 to 1990, the second tier in Norwegian football was named 2. divisjon. Until 1996, the 1. divisjon teams was split in two groups. This statistics shows the winning cubs, runners-ups, play-off teams, top goal scorer and the league's average attendances starting with the first one-group 1. divisjon season in 1997. Teams in bold won the promotion play-offs and were promoted to Eliteserien.
SeasonWinnerRunners-upPromotion play-offsTop scorer
2019AalesundSandefjordStart, KFUM Oslo, Kongsvinger and Sogndal19 – Pontus Engblom 1 434
2018VikingMjøndalenAalesund, Sogndal, Ullensaker/Kisa and Nest-Sotra21 – Tommy Høiland 1 711
2017Bodø/GlimtStartMjøndalen, Ranheim, Sandnes Ulf and Ullensaker/Kisa28 – Kristian Fardal Opseth 1 422
2016KristiansundSandefjordJerv, Sandnes Ulf, Kongsvinger and Mjøndalen26 – Pontus Engblom 1 495
2015SogndalBrannKristiansund, Hødd, Jerv and Ranheim17 – Pontus Engblom and Robert Stene 1 998
2014SandefjordTromsøMjøndalen, Kristiansund, Bærum and Fredrikstad19 – Pål Alexander Kirkevold 1 376
2013Bodø/GlimtStabækHødd, Ranheim, Hamarkameratene and Mjøndalen18 – Jo Sondre Aas 1 453
2012StartSarpsborg 08Sandefjord, Mjøndalen, Bodø/Glimt and Ullensaker/Kisa20 – Martin Wiig 1 330
2011Hønefoss BKSandnes UlfNFF removed the play-offs ahead of the season18 – Vegard Braaten 1 186
2010SogndalSarpsborg 08Fredrikstad, Løv-Ham and Ranheim17 – Marius Helle 1 544
2009HaugesundHønefossKongsvinger, Sogndal and Sarpsborg 0824 – Thomas Sørum 1 271
2008Odd GrenlandSandefjord and Start Sogndal22 – Péter Kóvacs 1 984
2007MoldeHamarkamerateneBodø/Glimt23 – Kenneth Kvalheim 1 726
2006StrømsgodsetAalesundBryne19 – Mattias Andersson 1 981
2005StabækSandefjordMoss27 – Daniel Nannskog 1 388
2004StartAalesundKongsvinger18 – Paul Oyuga 1 696
2003HamarkamerateneFredrikstadSandefjord19 – Markus Ringberg 1 656
2002TromsøAalesundSandefjord18 – Morten Gamst Pedersen 1 174
2001VålerengaStartHamarkameratene18 – Bala Garba and Marino Rahmberg 1 490
2000LynStrømsgodsetSogndal25 – Jostein Flo 775
1999HaugesundBryneStart17 – Anders Blomquist 1 033
1998Odd GrenlandSkeidKjelsås18 – Caleb Francis 741
1997VålerengaMossEik-Tønsberg16 – Espen Musæus 1 169