AFL–NFL merger
In 1920, the National Football League began its existence as a collection of regional teams. For decades, it faced challenges from rival leagues that tried to steal its players and fans. The All-America Football Conference emerged in 1946 with strong backing but failed due to poor financial management. It refused to implement an initial draft system, which allowed one team, the Cleveland Browns, to dominate while others struggled. This lack of competitive balance doomed the league after just four seasons. When the AAFC disbanded following the 1949 season, three of its teams joined the NFL: the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts. These franchises brought new energy to the older league, proving that professional football could thrive outside traditional markets.
Lamar Hunt, son of Texas oil magnate H.L. Hunt, conceived the American Football League in September 1959 after being rebuffed by the NFL regarding Dallas expansion. By August 1959, the new league had six franchises, growing to eight by its first opening day in 1960. Teams included the Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Texans, and Titans of New York. The AFL signed stars from small colleges and predominantly black institutions like Elbert Dubenion, Lionel Taylor, Tom Sestak, Charlie Tolar, and Abner Haynes. They also recruited major college talents such as Billy Cannon, Lance Alworth, Daryle Lamonica, Bobby Bell, John Hadl, Joe Namath, and many others. The league introduced innovations including a 14-game schedule, players' last names on jerseys, a narrower ball called the Spalding J5V, two-point conversions, official scoreboard clocks, and shared gate revenues. ABC broadcast games from 1960 through 1964 before NBC took over starting in 1965.
The commercial rivalry between leagues intensified during the mid-1960s when both sides entered bidding wars for top college prospects. NFL owners generally lacked the wealth of their AFL counterparts, yet they consistently outdrew AFL crowds at the gate. Despite this financial advantage, NFL teams could not sustain prolonged bidding wars against wealthy AFL investors. In May 1966, the NFL's New York Giants broke an unwritten gentlemen's agreement by signing Pete Gogolak, who had played his option year with the Buffalo Bills. Oakland Raiders co-owner Al Davis retaliated by taking over as AFL Commissioner in April 1966 and aggressively signing notable NFL players like John Brodie, Mike Ditka, and Roman Gabriel. Both leagues spent a combined $7 million signing their 1966 draft picks. This escalation demonstrated that neither side could afford to lose the war for talent without risking collapse.
Tex Schramm, general manager of the Dallas Cowboys since 1960, secretly contacted AFL owners led by Lamar Hunt about merging the leagues. These discussions occurred without knowledge of Al Davis, the new AFL commissioner. On the 8th of June 1966, collaborators announced a merger agreement in New York. The plan called for combining 24 teams initially, expanding to 26 by 1969 and 28 by 1970. Existing franchises would remain in their metropolitan areas while no new teams entered overlapping media markets. The Oakland Raiders and New York Jets paid indemnities to the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants respectively. A common draft replaced individual league drafts starting mid-March 1967. Separate regular season schedules continued through 1969 with interleague preseason play beginning in 1967. An annual championship game matching champions from each league started in January 1967, eventually becoming known as the Super Bowl. The merged entity retained the name National Football League with unified rules adopted by 1970 at the latest.
Congress passed legislation exempting the merged league from antitrust sanctions after NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle promised no existing franchise would relocate. The combined league planned to expand to 28 teams as stipulated in the original agreement. Stadiums seating fewer than 50,000 were deemed inadequate, forcing teams to either expand or move. By 1970, three NFL teams, the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers, joined ten AFL teams to form the American Football Conference. Thirteen remaining NFL teams formed the National Football Conference including Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins. Five divisional alignment proposals were written on slips of paper and placed into a fish bowl. Rozelle's secretary Thelma Elkjer pulled out Plan 3, which became the official NFC alignment. All three major television networks signed contracts ensuring stability: CBS broadcast all games where an NFC team was away, NBC covered all AFC road games, and ABC launched Monday Night Football making the NFL the first league with regular prime-time national telecasts.
Many observers believed the NFL secured the better end of the bargain despite resistance from Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis and New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin regarding indemnity payments. Long-time sports writer Jerry Magee noted that Al Davis taking over as commissioner represented the strongest action the AFL ever took but considered the merger detrimental to their cause. In 1970, former AFL teams went 19-39 against old-line NFL opposition in 60 regular season games. Only Oakland managed a winning record against traditional NFL teams before losing to the Colts in the AFC championship. Each of the first 29 Monday Night Football games featured at least one team from the old-guard NFL until the 9th of October 1972 when Oakland played Houston. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the AFC in 1976 while Seattle Seahawks entered the NFC. By 1989, three franchises had moved markets despite Rozelle's initial promise. Since 1970, no rival professional football league has seriously challenged the NFL's dominance including ventures like the XFL, WFL, USFL, UFL, and AAF alongside revivals that merged into a new UFL.
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Common questions
When did the AFL, NFL merger officially take effect?
The merged entity retained the name National Football League with unified rules adopted by 1970 at the latest. By 1970, three NFL teams and ten AFL teams formed the American Football Conference and National Football Conference.
Who founded the American Football League in 1959?
Lamar Hunt conceived the American Football League in September 1959 after being rebuffed by the NFL regarding Dallas expansion. The new league had six franchises by August 1959 and grew to eight by its first opening day in 1960.
What date was the AFL, NFL merger agreement announced?
On the 8th of June 1966, collaborators announced a merger agreement in New York. Tex Schramm secretly contacted AFL owners led by Lamar Hunt about merging the leagues before this announcement occurred without knowledge of Al Davis.
Which teams joined the NFL from the AAFC in 1949?
When the AAFC disbanded following the 1949 season, three of its teams joined the NFL: the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts. These franchises brought new energy to the older league and proved that professional football could thrive outside traditional markets.
How many teams were in the merged NFL by 1970?
The plan called for combining 24 teams initially, expanding to 26 by 1969 and 28 by 1970. By 1970, three NFL teams and ten AFL teams formed the American Football Conference while thirteen remaining NFL teams formed the National Football Conference.