Will the NFL Add More Teams?

The NFL is always looking to expand its reach, and there have been rumors that more teams could be added in the future. But will the NFL actually add more teams? Let’s take a look at the possibility.

Introduction

The National Football League is the top professional American football league in the United States. It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL currently consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. The NFL is planning to add two more teams by 2030, which would increase the number of teams to 34.

The Case For More Teams

The National Football League is the most popular sports league in the United States. It is also the richest, most powerful, and most influential sports league in the world. The NFL has been around for nearly a century and it has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, the NFL is only getting bigger and more popular.

More Fans

The National Football League is by far the most popular sports league in the United States. According to a 2017 poll, 42 percent of Americans say pro football is their favorite sport to watch. That’s more than twice the percentage who named any other sport.

As the NFL’s popularity has grown, so has its revenues. In 2018, the league brought in an estimated $14 billion in revenue, up from $9.3 billion in 2010. A big chunk of that money comes from television rights fees: The NFL’s deals with ESPN, CBS, NBC and Fox are worth a combined $4.95 billion per year through 2022.

But despite its massive popularity and profitability, the NFL currently has just 32 teams — a number that has remained steady since 2002, when the league expanded with the addition of the Houston Texans. That’s fewer than half as many teams as Major League Baseball (30) and the National Hockey League (31), and only slightly more than the National Basketball Association (30).

Could the NFL eventually add more teams? It’s possible: In recent years, league officials have been outspoken about their desire to expand to 36 teams, with one team each in Mexico City and London. And in October 2019, it was reported that the league was considering adding a 17th game to its regular-season schedule as early as 2021 — a move that would presumably pave the way for further expansion down the road.

More Revenue

additional teams would create more revenue for the NFL through things like ticket sales and merchandise. With more teams comes the potential for more games being played overall, which could lead to an increase in TV ratings and thus more money from advertisers. The league could also expand its footprint by holding games in new markets.

More Parity

One of the most oft-cited benefits of expanding the NFL is that it would add more parity to the league. In a 32-team league, there are really only a handful of teams with a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl each year. But in a 40-team league, that number could easily double.

An expanded NFL would also create more opportunities for small-market teams to compete. In a 32-team league, it’s simply too difficult for a team like the Green Bay Packers or the Kansas City Chiefs to consistently compete with the likes of the New England Patriots or the Dallas Cowboys. But in a 40-team league, there would be more room for those smaller markets to compete on a level playing field.

So why hasn’t the NFL expanded yet? One of the main reasons is that it’s simply not easy to find enough good places to put new teams. There aren’t many markets out there that could support an NFL team, and finding enough land to build new stadiums is also a challenge.

But if the NFL does decide to expand at some point, there are plenty of benefits that come with it. More teams means more parity, more opportunities for small markets, and potentially even

. . .

The Case Against More Teams

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the world, and it is currently made up of 32 teams. Some people believe that the NFL should add more teams, but there are a few reasons why this might not be a good idea.

Less Talent

With only 32 teams, the NFL has the lowest number of teams of any professional sports league in the United States. Some people argue that this gives each team a greater share of the available talent, making the league more competitive overall. If the NFL expands to 34 or 36 teams, that argument goes out the window.

In a larger league, there would inevitably be more bad teams than there are now. The increased number of unemployed players would lead to a decreased level of play overall, as the best players would be spread too thin. This would make for a less enjoyable product for fans, and could lead to declining ratings and attendance.

Less Excitement

The National Football League has seen a lot of changes in the last decade or so. The most notable change has been the addition of two new teams, the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars, in 2002. This brought the total number of teams up to 32, which many people believe is the perfect number for the league.

But there are some who believe that the NFL should add more teams, perhaps as many as two new franchises. The most common argument for this is that it would make the league more exciting and competitive. But there are several reasons why this would not be a good idea.

First of all, adding more teams would water down the talent pool in the NFL. There are only so many good football players out there, and spreading them out over more teams would make every team less competitive. This would lead to even more blowouts and less excitement on Sundays.

Second, adding more teams would also mean adding more meaningless games to an already long season. fans don’t want to see their team play 16 regular season games plus 3 or 4 preseason games. They want to see their team play meaningful games that count towards something. Adding more teams would just add more meaningless games to an already long season.

And finally, expanding the NFL might just be too much for fans to handle. Football is already a very time-consuming sport to follow. Adding more teams could turn fans away from the sport altogether because they wouldn’t be able to keep up with all of the new names and faces.

So while there may be some arguments for expanding the NFL, there are far more reasons why it would be a bad idea. It’s best to leave well enough alone and keep the league at 32 teams.

Conclusion

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular professional American football league, consisting of 32 teams. It is currently the largest professional sports league by revenue in North America. Speculation arises every few years about the NFL potentially expanding, with Los Angeles being a primary target for a new team or teams. The last time an NFL team relocated was in 2002, when the Houston Texans joined the league. At present, there does not seem to be any clear plan or timetable for expansion. However, it is something that the NFL may eventually consider as a way to generate more revenue and interest in the sport.