What Was the NFL Called Before the NFL?

The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season.

Introduction

In 1920, there were a number of professional football leagues in the United States, including the Ohio League, the New York Pro Football League, and the Chicago Football League. These leagues began to coalesce into what would eventually become the National Football League (NFL) in 1922. However, prior to 1922, there was no real “NFL” as we know it today.

The National Football League’s Early History

The National Football League (NFL) was not always called the NFL. In fact, the NFL has gone through several name changes since it was first founded in 1920. The league was originally founded as the American Professional Football Association (APFA), but it was renamed the National Football League in 1922. The NFL has also been known as the National Football League of America, the National Football League of Professional Football, and the American Football League.

The American Professional Football Association

The NFL got its start in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The APFA was created in Canton, Ohio, home of the league’s first team, the Canton Bulldogs. There were only 11 teams in the APFA when it was founded, but it soon grew to include teams from all over the country. By 1922, there were 22 teams in the league.

In 1922, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League (NFL). The NFL was still a relatively small league at this time, but it was beginning to grow in popularity. By 1930, there were 33 teams in the league.

During the 1930s, the NFL began to really take off. This was due in part to some major rule changes that made the game more exciting to watch. In addition, the NFL started holding playoff games to determine a champion. The first playoff game was held in 1933 and featured the Chicago Bears and New York Giants.

The NFL continued to grow throughout the 1940s and 1950s. By 1960, there were 14 teams in the league. In 1966, another major change came to the NFL when it merged with its rival, the American Football League (AFL). This created a true national football league with 26 teams.

The American Football League

The American Football League was founded in 1920, making it the oldest of the major professional football leagues in the United States. The league was originally known as the American Professional Football Association, but it was renamed the American Football League in 1922. The league consisted of 10 teams, all of which were located in the northeastern and midwestern United States.

The NFL began as a direct competitor to the AFL, but the two leagues merged in 1966. The NFL then absorbed most of the AFL’s teams, although a few teams from the original AFL continue to compete in the league today.

The Merger of the NFL and the AFL

In the late 1950s, the National Football League (NFL) was the only major professional American football league. However, the league had some serious competition from the upstart American Football League (AFL). The two leagues competed against each other for players, fans, and television contracts. In 1966, the two leagues merged to form the NFL we know today.

The Common Goal of the Two Leagues

In the early 1960s, the National Football League (NFL) was the only major professional football league in the United States. But that all changed with the formation of the American Football League (AFL), which began play in 1960.

The NFL and AFL were not on good terms at first. The new AFL was seen as a serious threat to the NFL, and there was a lot of bad blood between the two leagues. But eventually, they realized that they could be more successful if they worked together, and in 1966, they agreed to merge.

The newly merged league was called the National Football League (NFL), and it consisted of two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The AFC consisted of all of the teams from the old AFL, while the NFC consisted of all of the teams from the old NFL.

The merger had a number of benefits for both leagues. First, it made them both stronger and more stable. Second, it helped to increase TV ratings and attendance at games, which led to more revenue for both leagues. Finally, it gave fans a chance to see some of the best players from both leagues competing against each other.

The Merger Agreement

In 1966, the NFL and the American Football League (AFL) reached an agreement to merge the two leagues. The first Super Bowl was played in 1967.

The merger had several effects on the league. Perhaps most significantly, it created a much larger pool of talent from which teams could draw players. This increased competition for players and led to higher salaries for all players in the league, not just those who were considered “stars.”

The merger also led to changes in the way the game was played. The most notable of these was the introduction of the forward pass, which had been all but outlawed in the NFL prior to the merger.

The merger was not without its controversies, however. Many traditionalists believed that the NFL was “diluting” its product by merging with what they considered to be an inferior league. There were also concerns that the increased competition for players would lead to problems with player morale and discipline.

Despite these concerns, the merger proved to be very successful and continues to this day. The Super Bowl has become one of America’s most popular sporting events, and the level of play in the NFL is now considered to be among the best in the world.

The NFL Today

The NFL has been around for over a hundred years, and it has changed a lot in that time. The league was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA), and it changed its name to the National Football League (NFL) in 1922. The NFL today is a huge business, with billions of dollars in revenue each year.

The NFL’s Popularity

National Football League, professional football league formed in 1920, that grew to become the largest such organization in the United States by the early 21st century. From humble beginnings as a four-team association of Midwest clubs in 1920, the NFL developed into a multibillion-dollar commercial enterprise that captivated millions of fans each fall and winter.

The NFL was the brainchild of several sports promoters from the Midwest. In August 1920 they convened for a meeting in Canton, Ohio, where they founded the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The new league’s first president was Joe Carr, a former sportswriter who was also the longtime director of public relations for the Ohio State Fair. The APFA began with 11 teams from four Midwestern states—Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and New York. Two of the most prominent were the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) and the Decatur Staleys (later Chicago Bears).

The Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the biggest and most important American football game of the year. It is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game is played between the winning team from the American Football Conference (AFC) and the winning team from the National Football Conference (NFC).