The National Football League (NFL) has 32 teams spread across the United States, but it wasn’t always that way. The league was known as the American Professional Football Association when it was founded in 1920. It had 14 teams, mainly in the Midwest. Teams in today's NFL are located from Miami (Dolphins) in southern Florida to Seattle (Seahawks) along the Puget Sound in Washington.
The NFL expanded from 16 teams in 1967 to 26 teams in 1970 and then 32 teams in 2002.
The NFL adopted its official name in 1922. The league faced stiff competition in its early days. By the mid-1960s, the American Football League (AFL) rivaled the NFL in prime-time television spots, and both leagues competed for college players. Under a 1966 agreement, the leagues merged, with the NFL absorbing the AFL’s teams and dividing into the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC). They competed on the field for the first time in 1970.
During the 17-week regular season, each NFL team plays 16 games, with one bye week. Twelve teams qualify for the playoffs. The winner of the AFC and NFC championship games play in the Super Bowl for the NFL title.
The NFC is divided into four divisions, each with four teams. The NFC’s 16 teams are divided as follows:
East
North
South
West
The AFC’s 16 teams are divided into four divisions, with four teams in each:
East
North
South
West
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!