How Old Is the NFL?
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A look at the history of the NFL and how it has become America’s most popular sport.
The NFL’s Beginnings
The National Football League, otherwise known as the NFL, is one of America’s favorite past times. It has a rich history dating back to the late 1800s. Although the NFL has only been around for less than a century, it has already made a significant impact on American culture.
The first professional football game
On November 12, 1892, William “Pudge” Heffelfinger was paid $500 by the Allegheny Athletic Association to play in a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.
This is widely recognized as the first instance of professional football.
However, it wasn’t until 1920 that the American Professional Football Association–which would eventually become the NFL–was formed.
So while professional football certainly predates the NFL, the league itself is only about 100 years old.
The first NFL game
On November 22, 1920, the American Professional Football Association was formed in Canton, Ohio. The Association was made up of fourteen teams from four states – New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. In 1922, the Association was renamed the National Football League. The first NFL game took place on October 3, 1920, between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles in Columbus, Ohio.
The NFL’s Growth
The National Football League has come a long way since its humble beginnings back in 1892. What started off as a small, amateur league has now become one of the most popular and well-respected professional sports leagues in the world. Let’s take a look at how the NFL has grown over the years.
The first NFL Championship game
On December 18, 1920, the American Professional Football Association was founded in Canton, Ohio. The Association was created by team representatives who met to discuss common concerns and look for ways to improve their game. At this meeting, they renamed themselves the National Football League and determined that a championship game would be played at the end of each season.
The first NFL Championship game was played on December 19, 1920, just one year after the League’s formation. The game was held at Douglas Field in Canton, Ohio, home of the League’s founding members, the Akron Pros. The Pros defeated the visiting Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) by a score of 7-0.
This championship game is considered the birth of what is now America’s most popular sport. From this humble beginning, the NFL has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry with games watched by millions of fans around the world.
The first Super Bowl
The first Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10. The game was played in Los Angeles, California at the Memorial Coliseum. The game was originally called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. In 1970 it was officially named the Super Bowl.
The NFL Today
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football. It was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with ten teams from four states. The league’s 16-game regular season runs from September to December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week.
The most recent Super Bowl
The most recent Super Bowl was Super Bowl LIII, which was played on February 3, 2019. The game was between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams, and it was held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Patriots won the game 13-3, making them the winningest team in NFL history with six Super Bowl wins.
The current NFL teams
The NFL today consists of 32 teams, with 31 located in the United States and one in Canada. These teams are divided into two conferences, the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Each conference is further divided into four divisions, and each division has four teams. The NFL season typically runs from September to January, with each team playing 16 regular season games.
