.::NFL Franchise History.::.
1920
The American Professional Football Association was formally organized to begin play in fall of 1920. Jim Thorpe of Canton is elected APFA president and membership fee is set at $100 per franchise. The original teams are:
Later, the Buffalo All-Americans, Chicago Tigers, Columbus Panhandles and Detroit Heralds joined the league prior to the 1920 season.
The Chicago Tigers fold between the 1920 and 1921 seasons.
1921
The APFA is reorganized with Joe Carr elected league president
The Decatur Staleys moved to Chicago but retain the name Staleys
Teams that join the APFA for the 1921 season:
Teams that fold between 1921 and 1922 seasons:
1922
The APFA changes its name to the National Football League
The Chicago Staleys change their name to the Chicago Bears
Teams that join the NFL for the 1922 season:
1923
Teams that enter the NFL for the 1923 season:
NFL teams that fold between the 1923 and 1924 seasons:
1924
Buffalo All-Americans change their name to Buffalo Bisons
Teams that join the NFL for the 1924 season:
Teams that fold between the 1924 and 1925 seasons:
1925
The Kansas City Blues change their name to the Kansas City Cowboys
The Canton Bulldogs re-enter the NFL after an inactive 1924 season
Racine Legion is inactive for 1925 season
Teams that join the NFL for the 1925 season:
Teams that fold between the 1925 and 1926 seasons:
The Rock Island Independents leave the NFL for the rival AFL at end of the season
1926
The Buffalo Bisons change their name to the Buffalo Rangers
Teams that join the NFL for the 1926 season:
Teams that fold between the 1926 and 1927 seasons:
1927
Teams that join the NFL for the 1927 season:
Teams that fold between the 1927 and 1928 seasons:
1928
The Detroit Wolverines are granted an NFL franchise but play only the 1928 season (the Wolverines have the best lifetime winning percentage (.778) of any franchise in NFL history)
The New York Yankees fold at end of the season
1929
Teams that join the NFL for the 1929 season:
Teams that fold between the 1929 and 1930 seasons:
1930
Teams that join the NFL for the 1930 season:
Teams that fold between the 1930 and 1931 seasons:
1931
The Cleveland Indians join the NFL (play 1931 season only)
The Frankford Yellow Jackets disband during 1932 season
Teams that fold between the 1931 and 1932 seasons:
1932
The Boston Braves join the NFL for the 1932 season
The Staten Island Stapletons fold between the 1932 and 1933 seasons
1933
The Boston Braves changed their name to the Boston Redskins
Teams that join the NFL for the 1933 season:
1934
The NFL splits into divisions as follows:
| EASTERN DIVISION Boston Redskins Brooklyn Dodgers New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Pirates |
WESTERN DIVISION Chicago Bears Chicago Cardinals Cincinnati Reds Green Bay Packers Portsmouth Spartans |
The Portsmouth Spartans move to Detroit and are named the Detroit Lions.
The Cincinnati Reds are allowed to move to St. Louis and become the St. Louis Gunners, folding after 1934 season
1937
The Cleveland Rams are awarded an NFL franchise in the Western Division
The Boston Redskins move to Washington
1941
The Pittsburgh Pirates are renamed the Pittsburgh Steelers
1943
The Cleveland Rams suspend operations for the 1943 season
The Eagles and Steelers merge for one season to the Phil-Pitt Steagles
1944
The Cardinals and Steelers merge for 1944 season. They were called Card-Pitt and play in the Western Division
1944
The Brooklyn Dodgers were renamed the Brooklyn Tigers
The Boston Yanks are granted an NFL franchise and added to the Eastern Division
1945
The Brooklyn Tigers merge into the Boston Yanks merge for one year
1946
The Cleveland Rams move to Los Angeles
The Brooklyn team was formally disbanded. The owner went on to launch the AAFC, a rival league.
1949
The Boston Yanks move to New York and become the New York Bulldogs for the 1949 season
The AAFC dissolves after the 1949 season and the Browns, 49ers and Colts move into the NFL for the 1950 season. The remaining AAFC players are spread throughout the NFL via draft.
1950
The New York Bulldogs change their name to the New York Yanks
The NFL establishes the following alignment:
| AMERICAN CONFERENCE Chicago Cardinals Cleveland Browns New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers Washington Redskins San Francisco 49ers |
NATIONAL CONFERENCE Baltimore Colts Chicago Bears Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Rams New York Yanks |
The Baltimore Colts folds after 1950 season
1952
The New York Yankees fold; the NFL sells the assets of the Yanks to a Dallas group to become the Dallas Texans and begin play in 1952
The Dallas franchise folds, is taken over by the NFL midseason and plays out the rest of their season as a road team
1953
The NFL formally reinstates the dead Dallas Texans franchise as the Baltimore Colts
1959
The AFL is formally organized with the charter members:
| EASTERN DIVISION Boston Patriots Buffalo Bills Houston Oilers New York Titans |
WESTERN DIVISION Dallas Texans Denver Broncos Los Angeles Chargers |
1960
The Dallas Cowboys franchise awarded by the NFL to begin play in the Eastern Conference in 1960
Twin Cities is also awarded a franchise by the NFL, which is later named the Minnesota Vikings and begins play in the Western Conference in 1961
The AFL Minnesota team is withdrawn due to the planned NFL expansion there in the Twin Cities
The Oakland Raiders are awarded an AFL franchise into the Western Division to replace Minnesota
The Chicago Cardinals move to St. Louis
The AFL begins league play
1961
The Los Angeles Chargers move to San Diego
The AFL approves expansion into Atlanta for 1961
The AFL approves expansion into Chicago for 1961
1963
The Titans are renamed the Jets
The Texans move to Kansas City and are named the Chiefs
1965
The NFL awarded Atlanta a new franchise to begin play in the Eastern Conference in 1966
Miami is awarded a franchise by the AFL and is named the Dolphins by contest. It is to begin play in the Eastern Division in 1966.
1966
The NFL and AFL effectively merge with plans to go to a 2 conference 4 division setup in 1970 or after.
New Orleans is awarded a franchise by the NFL, to be later named the Saints and to begin play in the Eastern Conference in 1967
Atlanta is moved to the Western Conference. For the 1967 season, the conferences will be split up as follows:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
| CAPITOL DIVISION Dallas Cowboys New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins |
CENTURY DIVISION Cleveland Browns New York Giants Pittsburgh Steelers St. Louis Cardinals |
| CENTRAL DIVISION Chicago Bears Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings |
COSTAL DIVISION Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Colts Los Angeles Rams San Francisco 49ers |
1967
The Cincinnati Bengals franchise was awarded by the AFL to begin play in the Western Division in 1968.
1970
The NFL and AFL merge their schedules and go to the current two conference, six division format. The AFL becomes the AFC with the Steelers, Browns and Colts moved there from the NFL. The rest of the NFL becomes the NFC. This is the only time a rival league has successfully merged with the NFL.
The NFL is now aligned as follows (modern format):
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
| EAST DIVISION Baltimore Colts Boston Patiots Buffalo Bills Miami Dolphins New York Jets |
CENTRAL DIVISION Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Houston Oilers Pittsburgh Steelers |
WEST DIVISION Denver Broncos Kansas City Cheifs Oakland Raiders San Diego Chargers |
| EAST DIVISION Dallas Cowboys New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles St. Louis Cardinals Washington Redskins |
CENTRAL DIVISION Chicago Bears Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings |
WEST DIVISION Atlanta Falcons New Orleans Saints Los Angeles Rams San Francisco 49ers |
1971
The Boston Patriots move to Foxboro and are renamed the New England Patriots
1974
Tampa Bay is awarded a franchise by the NFL and begins play in 1976 in the AFC West and switch to the NFC Central in 1977
Seattle is awarded a franchise by the NFL and begins play in 1976 in the NFC West and switch to the AFC West in 1977
1976
Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers begin play
1977
Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers switch to current conferences (Seahawks to the AFC West and Buccaneers to NFC Central)
1982
The Oakland Raiders move to Los Angeles
1984
The Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis
1988
The St. Louis Cardinals move to Phoenix
1993
The Carolina Panthers are awarded an NFL franchise to begin play in 1995
The Jacksonville Jaguars are awarded an NFL franchise to begin play in 1995
1994
The Phoenix Cardinals are renamed the Arizona Cardinals
1995
The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis
The Los Angeles Raiders move back to Oakland
1996
The Cleveland Browns move to Baltimore to begin play in 1996 as the Baltimore Ravens (however, the city of Cleveland retains the rights to the Browns name, logo, team colors and memorabilia rights)
1997
The Houston Oilers move to Memphis and become the Tennessee Oilers
1998
Cleveland granted franchise, to be named the Cleveland Browns, and will begin play in 1999
The Tennessee Oilers move from Memphis to Nashville.
The New England Patriots announce their intention to move to Hartford
1920 - Decatur Staleys (now Chicago Bears) and Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals)
1921 - Green Bay Packers
1925 - New York Giants
1930 - Portsmouth-OH Spartans (now Detroit Lions)
1932 - Boston Braves (now Washington Redskins)
1933 - Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Pirates (now Steelers)
1937 - Cleveland Rams (now St. Louis)
1950 - Added AAFC's Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers
1953 - Baltimore Colts (now Indianapolis)
1960 - Dallas Cowboys
1961 - Minnesota Vikings
1966 - Atlanta Falcons
1967 - New Orleans Saints
1970 - Added AFL's Boston Patriots (now New England), Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals (1968 expansion team), Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins (1966 expansion team), New York Jets, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers (the AFL-NFL merger divided the league into two 13-team conferences with old-line NFL clubs Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh moving to the AFC)
1976 - Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1995 - Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars
1997 - Baltimore Ravens
Akron (Ohio) - Pros (1920-25) and Indians (1926)
Baltimore - Colts (1950)
Boston - Bulldogs (1926) and Yanks (1944-48)
Brooklyn - Lions (1926), Dodgers (1930-43) and Tigers (1944)
Buffalo - All-Americans (1921-23), Bisons (1924-25), Rangers (1926) and Bisons (1927,1929)
Canton (Ohio) - Bulldogs (1920-23,1925-26)
Chicago - Tigers (1920)
Cincinnati - Celts (1921) and Reds (1933-34)
Cleveland - Tigers (1920-21), Indians (1923), Bulldogs (1924-25,1927), Indians (1931) and Browns (1950-95)
Columbus (Ohio) - Panhandles (1920-22) and Tigers (1923-26)
Dallas - Texans (1952)
Dayton (Ohio) - Triangles (1920-29).
Detroit - Heralds (1920-21), Panthers (1925-26) and Wolverines (1928)
Duluth (Minnesota) - Kelleys (1923-25) and Eskimos (1926-27)
Evansville (Indiana) - Crimson Giants (1921-22)
Frankford (Pennsylvania) - Yellow Jackets (1924-31)
Hammond (Indiana) - Pros (1920-26)
Hartford (Conneticut) - Blues (1926)
Kansas City - Blues (1924) and Cowboys (1925-26)
Kenosha (Wisconsin) - Maroons (1924)
Los Angeles - Buccaneers (1926)
LouisvilleBrecks (1921-23) and Colonels (1926)
Marion (Ohio) - Oorang Indians (1922-23)
Milwaukee - Badgers (1922-26)
Minneapolis - Marines (1922-24) and Red Jackets (1929-30)
Muncie (Indiana) Flyers (1920-21)
New York - Giants (1921), Yankees (1927-28), Bulldogs (1949) and Yankees (1950-51)
Newark (New Jersey) - Tornadoes (1930)
Orange (New Yersey) - Tornadoes (1929)
Pottsville (Pennsylvania) - Maroons (1925-28)
Providence (Rhode Island) - Steam Roller (1925-31)
Racine (Wisconsin) - Legion (1922-24) and Tornadoes (1926)
Rochester (New York) - Jeffersons (1920-25)
Rock Island (Illinois) - Independents (1920-25)
Staten Island (New York) - Stapletons (1929-32)
St. Louis - All-Stars (1923) and Gunners (1934)
Toledo (Ohio) - Maroons (1922-23)
Tonawanda (New York) -Kardex (1921), also called Lumbermen
Washington - Senators (1921)