Germany Regionalliga Bayern

The German league system, having gone through its last adjustment in 2008, when the 3. Liga was established and the number of Regionalligas increased from two to three, required another adjustment in 2011. The reason for this was the large number of insolvencies on the fourth level, caused by high cost and infrastructure requirements while, at the same time, the clubs at this level complained about low incomes and little interest from TV broadcasters. Some Regionalliga requirements were seen as causing too much of a financial strain on amateur clubs, for example stadiums had to have at least 1,000 seats, and a separate stand with separate entrance for away spectators. Many clubs also struggled to cope with the 400-pages long license application, having to rely on volunteers rather than being able draw on permanent staff.

This led to Oberliga champions even, at times, declining their right for promotion to avoid the financial risk the Regionalliga meant to them, breaking with a basic principle of German football that league champions would almost always be promoted.

In a special conference of the German Football Association, the DFB, in October 2010, 223 of 253 delegates voted for a reform of the league system on the fourth level. The number of Regionalligas was to be expanded to five, with the reestablishment of the Regionalliga Nordost, the formation of the Regionalliga Bayern and a shift of the Regionalliga Süd to the new Regionalliga Südwest.

The suggestion for the league reform had come from Bavaria, where, in a meeting of the Bavarian top-level amateur clubs at Wendelstein, the financial survival of the leagues and clubs in the current system was questioned. It resulted in the publication of what was called the Wendelsteiner Anstoß, which demanded a clear demarcation between professional football on the first three tiers of German football and amateur football below that. For this purpose, the paper also demanded the reestablishment of the German amateur football championship as an incentive and goal for top amateur clubs who did not want to turn professional.

On 16 December 2011, the Bavarian Football Association (German abbreviation: BFV) introduced the league's logo.

In March 2012 the BFV announced that the league champions, apart from having the opportunity to compete in the promotion round to the 3. Liga, would also qualify directly for the first round of the German Cup. Due to the ban of reserve teams in the German Cup, this spot would be handed to the best placed first team should the champions be a reserve side.

With the deadline for the licence applications for the new league set for 1 April 2012, 32 clubs had applied for the new league. Of those, one came from the 3. Liga, six from the Regionalliga, eight from the Landesliga and two from leagues outside Bavaria. Of the 18 Bayernliga clubs, 15 applied for a licence, with only TSV Gersthofen, TSV Aindling and SpVgg Unterhaching II deciding not to apply. Of the Landesliga clubs, eight applied for a licence.

The BFV planned to complete the licensing procedure by 20 April 2012 and notify all clubs of the outcome by that date, but this process was delayed. On 20 April 2012 the FSV Erlangen-Bruck opted to withdraw its Regionalliga application because of ongoing financial issues. All Bayernliga and Regionalliga clubs had their licence applications approved by 27 April 2012 while the Landesliga clubs had to wait another week before being notified of a decision.

The 2019–20 season was interrupted by the coronavirus disease pandemic in Germany that broke out in March 2020. It was later suspended until 31 August, necessitating a cancellation of the 2020–21 season as the BFV approved a resumption of the preceding one with 17 teams after 1 September and its extension to mid-2021.