When Was the NFL Founded?

Wondering when the NFL was founded? We have the answer, along with a brief history of the league.

The Early Years of Pro Football

The National Football League was founded in 1920, making it the oldest professional sports league in the United States. The NFL got its start when a group of college football coaches met to discuss making the game more professional. As a result of their meeting, they formed the American Professional Football Association.

The first professional football game

The first professional football game was played on November 12, 1892, between the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. William (Pudge) Heffelfinger was paid $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association, making him the first professional football player.

In 1902, representatives of several professional football teams met in New York City to form the National Football League (NFL). The first NFL season began in September 1903 with nine teams. The teams were located in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The founding of the NFL

The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) with ten teams from four states, all of whom were already members of different professional football organizations. The first official championship game was held in 1923, when the APFA renamed itself the National Football League. Between 1920 and 1934, the NFL underwent several changes that led to the formation of different divisions and conferences, as well as a reduction in the number of teams. In 1960, the NFL absorbed its rival league, the American Football League (AFL), and became the largest professional football organization in the United States.

The NFL Today

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular professional American football league, consisting of 32 teams. It was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States.

The NFL’s current structure

The NFL today consists of 32 teams who are evenly divided into two conferences — the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The AFC and NFC then each have four divisions that contain four teams apiece. This means that there are a total of 16 games played in the NFL regular season.

The NFL regular season runs from September through December, with each team playing 16 games. The top six teams in each conference then qualify for the playoffs, which are held in January. The playoffs culminate in the Super Bowl, which is the biggest single-day sporting event in the world.

The NFL’s current teams

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world, the richest professional sport league by revenue, and the sport league with the most valuable teams. The regular season is a 17-week schedule during which each team plays 16 games and has one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held in early February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

The NFL was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself as the National Football League for 1922. The NFL agreed to merge with rival American Football League (AFL) in 1966, creating current day NFL as we know it.