How does the NFL commissioner decides which teams belong to the NFC or the AFC? Is it randomly?

Answer 1

I assume you are talking about ADDITIONAL teams, not the ones currently in. Usually they try to put them in opposite ones to keep the confrences in even amounts. I have no idea what the thing with the Texans being in the AFC was. Clearly when the Browns were put back in the league they were going to go back into the AFC.

Answer 2

In 1966, the old NFL and the AFL agreed to a merger. They started playing as the AFC and the NFC is 1970. There were ten teams in the AFL during their least season of play in 1969- The Patriots, Jets, Bills, Oilers, Bengals, Dolphins, Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, and Broncos. All ten of those teams joined the AFC. Three old NFL teams- the Browns, Colts, and Steelers- joined the AFC at that time possibly because of their close rivalry, possibly to balance out the quality of teams- Ironically, the Colts were the first AFC team to make the Superbowl after being the NFL representative in Super Bowl III.

If you look at the recent expansion teams- the new Browns were naturally placed in the AFC because of the rivalries with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The Texans also went to the AFC because Houston is a traditonal AFC city. Carolina was probably a better fit for an NFC South with Atlanta than Jacksonville who went to the AFC in the 1995 expansion.

Answer 3

There used to be two totally independent pro football leagues. One was the NFL, the other was the AFL. Long story short, they merged. The AFL teams became the AFC. The NFL teams became the NFC. BUT... as there were more NFL teams the Colts, Steelers, and Browns moved to the AFC to make even numbers.

Any new teams just get placed in opposite conferences.

Answer 4

that was decided a long time ago when they were originally aligned i think it was so that rivals would play each other more but mostly random