What Year Did the NFL Start?
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The National Football League (NFL) started in 1920, making it one of the oldest professional sports leagues in the United States. The league has come a long way since its humble beginnings and is now a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
1920
The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) with ten teams from four states. Jim Thorpe was elected the first president of the league. The league changed its name to the National Football League in 1922 and began using a playoffs system to determine the champion.
The American Professional Football Association is formed
On August 20, 1920, representatives from eleven pro football clubs — the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians, Dayton Triangles, Decatur Staleys, Hammond Pros, Massillon Tigers, Muncie Flyers, Rochester Jeffersons, Rock Island Independents, and Syracuse Stars -meet in Canton, Ohio to form the American Professional Football Association. Jim Thorpe of the Canton Bulldogs is elected the first APFA president. The membership fee for each club is set at $100.
The American Professional Football Association’s inaugural season begins on September 26 with 12 teams playing 14 games each. George Halas’s Chicago Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) win the first APFA championship with a record of 7-1-6.
1921
The Association becomes the National Football League
The Association becomes the National Football League
In 1920, there were 14 major professional football teams in the United States, and each was independently owned and operated. To eliminate the bidding wars for players that had developed among these teams, as well as to protect player rights, team owners establish a professional football league—the American Professional Football Conference (later renamed the National Football League).
1922
The NFL’s first season is played
The year is 1922. Professional football is in its infancy, with just a handful of teams existing in the Northeast and Midwest. These teams are mostly made up of former college players, and the level of play is not yet on par with that of the collegiate game.
In October of that year, representatives from several teams meet in Canton, Ohio to form the American Professional Football Association – later renamed the National Football League. The NFL’s first season is then played, with just eleven teams participating.
Among these teams are the Chicago Bears, who would go on to become one of the most storied franchises in NFL history. Their first game is a 24-0 victory over the rival Chicago Cardinals. With that, professional football had officially arrived.
1923
The NFL was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL consisted of 14 teams during its inaugural season in 1920.
The NFL adopts a playoff system
The NFL adopts a playoff system to determine its champion. The first championship game is held in Chicago on December 18, with the Chicago Bears defeating the New York Giants 23-21.
