How Many NFL Divisions Are There?
Contents
How Many NFL Divisions Are There?
In the National Football League (NFL), there are two conferences, each of which is further divided into four divisions. For a total of eight divisions.
Introduction
NFL divisions are not static and have changed over time as the league has expanded, realigned, and contracted. From 1932 to 1966, the NFL was divided into two divisions: the Eastern Division and the Western Division. In 1967, the NFL added two more divisions—the Central Division and the Coastal Division—bringing the total number of divisions to four.
With the addition of the Houston Texans in 2002, the NFL once again expanded, this time to 32 teams. The league realigned its divisions so that each division had four teams in it. The four divisions in each conference—the AFC and NFC—were named North, East, South, and West.
Since 2002, there have been no changes to NFL divisions. There are a total of eight divisions in the league: four in each conference. Each divisional realignment was made with an eye towards creating a more equitable distribution of talent across the league and creating more competitive balance.
The Four NFL Divisions
The National Football League (NFL) is divided into four divisions: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC), each of which has four divisions. The AFC has the East, West, North, and South divisions, while the NFC has the East, West, North, and South divisions.
The AFC East
The American Football Conference – East Division, or AFC East, is made up of four teams in the Eastern United States: the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets.
The AFC East began play in 1970 as part of the NFL’s merger with the American Football League. Prior to that point, the AFL’s Buffalo Bills and New York Jets were in the same division as the NFL’s Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns. The division was initially named the AFC Central, but was renamed shortly after the merger took place.
Since its inception, the AFC East has been one of the most competitive divisions in football. All four teams have made it to a Super Bowl, and three of those teams have won multiple championships. The Patriots have been particularly dominant in recent years, winning nine division titles since 2003.
The AFC East is also home to some of the most storied rivalries in football, including the Bills-Dolphins rivalry and Jets-Patriots rivalry. These intense games often have major implications for the division title and playoff seedings.
The AFC West
The AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It began play in 1970 as part of the AFL–NFL merger.
The AFC West consists of four teams: the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers. Since 1993, these same four teams have won all but five AFC West division championships (all won by the Broncos).
The current AFC West champion is the Kansas City Chiefs, who won the division for the 2020 season.
The NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League’s National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Redskins. It was created prior to the 1966 season when the NFL expanded from 16 teams to 24 teams. At that time, it included the Chicago Bears, the Cleveland Browns, the Detroit Lions, and the Green Bay Packers. The division was realigned in 2002 to include its current four members.
The NFC East is one of three divisions in each conference with eight total teams (32 in total). It is also one of two divisions in each conference with four playoff berths (sixteen in total), as opposed to three berths in most other divisions.
The NFC West
The National Football Conference (NFC) West is a division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was formed in 2002 as a result of the NFL’s realignment.
The NFC West consists of four teams: the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Seattle Seahawks. All four teams are located in the Western United States. The divisional alignment is as follows:
· The Arizona Cardinals are located in Phoenix, Arizona.
· The Los Angeles Rams are located in Los Angeles, California.
· The San Francisco 49ers are located in San Francisco, California.
· The Seattle Seahawks are located in Seattle, Washington.
Conclusion
As of 2021, there are a total of 8 NFL divisions: 4 in each conference. Each division contains 4 teams, for a total of 32 teams in the NFL.
