Overview
- Match calendar is set: the season began on 1 August 2025, pauses after matchday 19 on 19–21 December, resumes on 16 January 2026, and ends on 16 May with relegation ties planned for 21–26 May.
- The league confirms its 20-team lineup, including Regionalliga promotees MSV Duisburg, 1. FC Schweinfurt 05, TSG Hoffenheim II and TSV Havelse, plus 2. Bundesliga relegations SSV Jahn Regensburg and SSV Ulm 1846.
- Eintracht Braunschweig stayed up via the 2. Bundesliga relegation, keeping 1. FC Saarbrücken in the 3. Liga, while Borussia Dortmund II, Hannover 96 II, SV Sandhausen and SpVgg Unterhaching dropped to the fourth tier.
- Standard matchdays run Friday to Sunday with Friday evening kick-offs, five Saturday fixtures at 14:00 and a designated top game later in the afternoon, staggered Sunday slots, and 19:00 starts in midweek rounds.
- Across the campaign there are 380 league matches plus two relegation fixtures, with all ten games on the final day scheduled to kick off simultaneously; MagentaSport offers every match live, a Saturday conference, and highlights, while ARD free-to-air picks are not yet announced.