19 teams from
Bavaria competed in the sixth season of the Regionalliga Bayern; 14 teams were retained from last season and 3 were promoted from the
Bayernliga.
FC Unterföhring were promoted from the
Bayernliga Süd and
VfB Eichstätt from the
Bayernliga Nord.
FC Pipinsried were also promoted as they beat
Greuther Fürth II in the
2016–17 Bayernliga promotion play-off. Finally, in a play-off between the two losing teams, Greuther Fürth II beat
Viktoria Aschaffenburg, obtaining the last open spot in the league.
1860 Munich were originally relegated from
2016–17 2. Bundesliga to
2017–18 3. Liga, but failed to obtain a license and therefore competed in the Regionalliga. This meant that this year's league was held with 19 teams instead of 18.
Relegation play-offs The 16th and 17th placed teams from the Regionalliga play against the runners-up from the two Bayernliga divisions for two places in the next Regionalliga season. ==Promotion play-offs==