Despite limited financial resources, Kongsvinger played in the Norwegian Premier League for 17 straight seasons between 1983 and 1999. Among the club's achievements were a silver medal in the league in 1992, bronze in 1986 and 1987 and a 1–1 draw against football powerhouse Juventus in the UEFA Cup 1993-94. Kongsvinger dropped out of the top flight in 1999, in the end struggling both financially and on the pitch. Only two years later another relegation sent the team down to the Second Division, level three in Norwegian football. After a mediocre interlude in the 2002 season, former HamKam player Vegard Skogheim took over the job as Kongsvinger manager in 2003, instilling new enthusiasm into a young squad of part-timers. In 2003, the team went undefeated in their division and secured promotion back to the First Division, the second-highest level. The success continued in 2004, and the newly promoted team surprised many experts by managing third place in the league, and thereby earning the right to two playoff matches for promotion against the club that finished third last in the Norwegian Premier League, Bodø/Glimt. Kongsvinger won the first match 1–0, but lost the second 0–4, giving away both the aggregate win and the right to play in the Premier League to Bodø/Glimt. Kongsvinger finished First League as 3rd and qualified for promotion-relegation play-offs in 2009 season. Kongsvinger beat Sogndal 3–1 on November 6 at home and faced with Sparta Sarpsborg 08. The club lost first match its rival 3–2 at away on November 9 but beat it 3–1 (5–4 aggregate) at home on November 12 and returned to Norwegian Premier League after 10 years absence. The team got relegated and was back in the First Division for the 2011 season. The club was relegated to the Second Division in 2013.
