| Competition: | 2. divisjon |
| Season: | 1972 |
| Winners: | Start (Group A) Frigg (Group B) Mo (District IX–X) Stein (District XI) |
| Promoted: | Start (Group A) Frigg (Group B) Raufoss (Group B) |
| Relegated: | Sandnes Ulf (Group A) Brumunddal (Group B) Verdal (Group B) |
| Prevseason: | 1971 |
| Nextseason: | 1973 |
The 1972 2. divisjon was a Norwegian second-tier football league season.
The league was contested by 35 teams, divided into a total of four groups; A and B (non-Northern Norwegian teams) and two district groups which contained teams from Northern Norway: district IX–X and district XI.[1] The winners of group A and B were promoted to the 1973 1. divisjon, while the winners of the district groups qualified for the Northern Norwegian final. The second placed teams in group A and B met the winner of the district IX–X in a qualification round where the winner was promoted to 1. divisjon. The winner of district XI was not eligible for promotion. The bottom team in group A and B were relegated to the 3. divisjon. The two second last teams in group A and B met in a qualification round where the losing team was relegated to the 3. divisjon.
Start won group A with 24 points. Frigg won group B with 29 points. Both teams promoted to the 1973 1. divisjon. Raufoss won the qualification play-offs and was also promoted.
Raufoss won the qualification round and won promotion to the 1. divisjon.
4–4 on aggregate.
Bryne won the qualification round and remained in the 2. divisjon. Brummunddal was relegated to the 3. divisjon.
A Northern Norwegian Final was played between the winners of the two district groups, Mo and Stein.[1]