How does (or did) the NFL decide what teams would be apart of the NFC and what teams would be apart of the AFC?
2007-01-14 10:09:17 · 12 answers · asked by GeminiGirl 4 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
I understand the merge, but what about teams that were created after that?
2007-01-14 10:16:27 · update #1
The NFL merged with the AFL in 1970. At that time, the teams from the pre-merger NFL became the NFC, and the AFL teams became the AFC, with a few exceptions. Three NFL teams (the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers) agreed to move over to the AFC in order to even up the conferences.
After the merger, the following additions took place. Other than the recent additions of the new Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans, new teams were added evenly to the two conferences to keep them even.
1976: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks joined the league. The Seahawks were a natural fit for the AFC West, but because the NFC East already had five teams, the Bucs were dropped into the NFC Central.
1995: The Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars were added. Of the league's six divisions, four had five teams - all except the NFC West and AFC Central. The Jags were put into the AFC Central, and the Panthers into the increasingly inaccurately named NFC West, which also contained the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.
1999: The Cleveland Browns return to the league, and put back into their old division, the AFC Central. This division now had six teams, and for the next three years, every week would see at least one team having its bye week due to an odd number of teams in the league.
2002: The NFL engaged in a much-needed realignment, increasing to eight divisions of four teams each as the Houston Texans are added. I don't know exactly why the league wanted the Texans in the AFC, but if I had to venture a guess, I would say that it's because the Dallas Cowboys, the other Texas team, is in the NFC. Every state that has exactly two teams, with the exception of Ohio, has one team in each conference.
The addition of the Texans to the AFC would bring the conference up to 17 teams to the NFC's 15, so the Seahawks were moved to the NFC West to even them out.
I'm not sure if this is exactly what you were looking for, but I hope it helps.
2007-01-14 10:20:51 · answer #1 · answered by Chris S 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The NFL teams became the NFC and the AFL teams became the AFC. To even things out 3 teams were paid to move to the AFC. Since then they have kept the Confrences even. For the most part it was one and one. When the Browns and Texans entered though they made them both AFC and moved the Seahawks BACK to the NFC. I'm not getting into that whole thing though. Anyway the reason that was done was because the old Browns(now the Ravens) were AFC and the old Houston team was AFC.
2007-01-14 10:29:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
nfl teams became nfc teams and afl teams became afc teams after the merger of the two leagues. since then, when the league expands, it adds 1 and 1.
2007-01-14 10:17:07 · answer #3 · answered by rodney of houston 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They split to match times zones and make the competition easier to organize and make rivals
2014-11-04 02:23:00 · answer #4 · answered by Camo Robertson 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They are where devided in 1966 when the AFL merged with the NFC
2007-01-14 10:12:39 · answer #5 · answered by Lights Out #3 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
NFL
2015-03-03 09:25:13 · answer #6 · answered by king 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it was random
its just like baseballs leagues
2007-01-14 10:13:18 · answer #7 · answered by Cody Y 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Players went to NFC, ******* went to the AFC.
2007-01-14 10:17:44 · answer #8 · answered by angrycelt 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
http://a8bb4ab9sfy8qxcnqak3tj3v5x.hop.clickbank.net/
2014-11-24 09:25:25 · answer #9 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Boi if u dont
2015-12-17 11:24:24 · answer #10 · answered by Ted 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋