| Competition: | 1. Liga |
| Season: | 2001–02 |
| Winners: | Group 1: Colombier Group 2: FC Schaffhausen Group 3: Malcantone |
| Promoted: | Wohlen FC Schaffhausen |
| Relegated: | Group 1: Lausanne-Sport U-21 Sion U-21 Group 2: FC Red Star Zürich FC Schwamendingen Group 3: FC Freienbach FC Rorschach |
| Matches: | 3 times 240 plus 9 play-offs |
| Prevseason: | 2000–01 |
| Nextseason: | 2002–03 |
The 2001–02 Swiss 1. Liga was the 70th season of this league since its creation in 1931. The 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was also the highest level of amateur football, even though there was an ever-increasing number of clubs in this league that played with professional or semi-professional players.
There were 48 teams in this division this season, including eight U-21 teams, which were the eldest youth teams of the professional clubs in the Super League and the Challenge League. The 1. Liga was divided into three regional groups, each with 16 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their positions in the league. The three group winners and the three runners-up then contested a play-off for the two promotion slots. The U-21 teams were not eligible for promotion and could not compete the play-offs. The last placed team in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga Interregional.
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Baulmes | Vaud | Stade Sous-Ville | |
| FC Bex | Vaud | Relais | |
| CS Chênois | Geneva | Stade des Trois-Chêne | |
| FC Colombier | Neuchâtel | Stade des Chézards | |
| FC Echallens | Vaud | Sportplatz 3 Sapins | |
| Grand-Lancy FC | Geneva | Stade de Marignac | |
| FC La Chaux-de-Fonds | Neuchâtel | ||
| Lausanne-Sport U-21 | Vaud | Stade Olympique de la Pontaise | |
| FC Naters | Valais | Sportanlage Stapfen | |
| FC Meyrin | Geneva | Stade des Arbères | |
| FC Serrières | Neuchâtel | Pierre-à-Bot | |
| Servette U-21 | Geneva | Stade de Genève | |
| Sion U-21 | Valais | Stade de Tourbillon | |
| FC Stade Lausanne Ouchy | Vaud | Centre sportif de Vidy | |
| FC Stade Nyonnais | Vaud | Stade de Colovray | |
| Vevey Sports | Vaud | Stade de Copet | |
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Altstetten[1] | Zürich | Buchlern | |
| Basel U-21 | Basel-City | Stadion Rankhof or Leichtathletik-Stadion St. Jakob | |
| FC Biel-Bienne | Bern | Stadion Gurzelen | |
| FC Bulle | Fribourg | Stade de Bouleyres | |
| FC Fribourg | Fribourg | Stade Universitaire | |
| Grasshopper Club U-21 | Zürich | GC/Campus Niederhasli | |
| FC Grenchen | Solothurn | Stadium Brühl | |
| FC Münsingen | Bern | Sportanlage Sandreutenen | |
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | |
| FC Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | Stadion Breite | |
| SV Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | Sportplatz Bühl | |
| FC Solothurn | Solothurn | Stadion FC Solothurn | |
| FC Schwamendingen[2] | Zürich | Sportanlage Heerenschürli | |
| FC Wangen bei Olten | Solothurn | Sportplatz Chrüzmatt | |
| SC YF Juventus | Zürich | Utogrund | |
| Zürich U-21 | Zürich | Sportplatz Heerenschürli | |
The two teams Solothurn and Young Fellows Juventus ended the season level on points and so they had to play a decision match to resolve second position and the play-off slot. This match was played on May 21, 2002, in Sursee. SC Young Fellows Juventus win and advance, as group runner-up, to play-offs.
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC Buochs | Nidwalden | Stadion Seefeld | |
| FC Chiasso | Ticino | Stadio Comunale Riva IV | |
| FC Chur 97 | Grisons | Ringstrasse | |
| FC Freienbach | Schwyz | Chrummen | |
| FC Gossau | St. Gallen | Sportanlage Buechenwald | |
| FC Kreuzlingen | Thurgau | Sportplatz Hafenareal | |
| Luzern U-21 | Lucerne | Stadion Allmend or Allmend Süd | |
| FC Malcantone Agno | Ticino | Cornaredo Stadium | |
| FC Mendrisio | Ticino | Centro Sportivo Comunale | |
| FC Rapperswil-Jona | St. Gallen | Stadion Grünfeld | |
| FC Rorschach[3] | Schwyz | Sportplatz Kellen | |
| FC Schötz | Lucerne | Sportplatz Wissenhusen | |
| St. Gallen U-21 | St. Gallen | Espenmoos | |
| FC Tuggen | Schwyz | Linthstrasse | |
| FC Wohlen | Aargau | [4] | |
| Zug 94 | Zug | Herti Allmend Stadion | |
The three group winners and the three runners-up contested this play-off for the two promotion slots. The U-21 teams were not eligible for this stage.
Wohlen win 6–3 on aggregate and continue to the finals. 3–3 on aggregate, Young Fellows Juventus win on away goals and continue to the finals. Schaffhausen win 5–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.[5]
Group 1 champions were Colombier, runners-up were Serrières. Group 2 champions were Schaffhausen and runners-up were Young Fellows Juventus. Group 3 champions were Malcantone, runners-up were Wohlen. These six teams played a qualification and the three winners played a single round-robin to decide the two promotion slots. Wohlen and Schaffhausen secured their promotion to the second tier. Wohlen were 1. Liga champions.[6]
From group 1 relegated were Lausanne-Sport U-21 and Sion U-21. Relegated from group 2 were the two clubs Red Star and Schwamendingen and from group 3 the two teams Freienbach and Rorschach also suffered relegation. The remaining teams in the division were to be joined in following season by ES Malley, Martigny-Sports, Zofingen, Aarau U-21, Biaschesi and Frauenfeld, each of which had won their 2. Liga Interregional groups.[7]