2. Bundesliga Women (Austria) 2026/27

2. Bundesliga Women serves as the second tier of women’s volleyball in Austria. The competition is governed directly by the Austrian Volleyball Federation (ÖVV), distinguishing it from the top-tier Austrian Volley League Women (AVL), which operates under its own body. While the first division traces its formal organization to 2002 with championships dating back to 1953, the specific founding year of this second division remains unrecorded in available sources. The structure of the league has evolved over time. Historically, teams were often split into regional groups such as Nord and Süd. Recent classifications, however, point toward a single unified group or a complex multi-group arrangement, with discrepancies in team counts ranging from nine to over twenty depending on regional sub-leagues included in the classification. The season typically features a round-robin regular season followed by playoffs for the top teams to determine promotion. Promotion to the AVL is achieved either through direct championship of the 2. Bundesliga or via relegation playoffs. These involve the bottom teams of the AVL, specifically those finishing seventh through tenth in the Hoffnungsrunde, and the top teams of the 2. Bundesliga. Relegation from the 2. Bundesliga to regional Landesligen is not explicitly detailed in public records. Notable clubs in the second tier include Akad. Graz Women, ATSE Graz Women, and Bad Radkersburg Women. Specific historical champions and the exact founding date of the second division remain undocumented in accessible archives. The competition continues to operate within this framework, providing a pathway for teams to reach the highest level of domestic play.