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NFL TEAMS

There are currently thirty-two NFL clubs. The NFL is the only organization among the four major professional sports leagues of North America to have all of its teams in the United States; MLB and the NBA each have one team in Canada, while the NHL has six teams in that country.

Most major cities in the United States have one NFL franchise, with the striking exception of the second largest city, Los Angeles, which currently does not have one either in the city or its metro area. The NFL is able to utilize the possible relocation of a franchise to Los Angeles as a threat, for example when trying to persuade local governments to contribute to the cost of new stadiums for its other franchises.

The Washington Redskins are the most lucrative NFL franchise and are actually the most lucrative sports team of all U.S. professional sports, valued at approximately $1.3 billion.

AFC - American Football Conference

The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL). The AFC was created after the NFL merged with the American Football League (AFL) in early 1970. The NFL's Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the then-Baltimore Colts agreed to join the new AFC along with the 10 former AFL teams. All of the other NFL teams formed the National Football Conference (NFC). Initially, this alignment was unpopular with fans in these cities.

Since the merger, five expansion teams have joined the AFC and two have left, thus making the current total 16. When the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the league in 1976, they were temporarily placed in the NFC and AFC respectively. This arrangement lasted for one season only before the two teams switched conferences. The Seahawks eventually returned to the NFC as a result of the 2002 realignment. The expansion Jacksonville Jaguars later joined the AFC in 1995.

The remaining 16 teams are organized into four divisions (North, South, East, and West) of four teams each. Each team plays the other teams in their division twice (home and away) during the regular season in addition to 10 other games/teams assigned to their schedule by the NFL the previous May. Two of these games are assigned on the basis of the team's final record in the previous season. The remaining 8 games are split between the roster of two other NFL divisions. This assignment shifts each year. For instance, in the 2006 regular season, each team in the AFC East will play a game apiece against each team in both the AFC South and the NFC North. In this way division competition consists of common opponents, with the exception of the 2 games assigned on the strength of each team's prior season record. The NFC operates according to the same system.

At the end of each football season, there are playoff games involving the top six teams in the AFC (the four division champions by place standing and the top two remaining non-division-champion teams ("wild cards") by record). The last two teams remaining play in the AFC Championship game with the winner receiving the Lamar Hunt Trophy. The AFC champion plays the NFC champion in the Super Bowl.

NFC - National Football Conference

The National Football Conference (NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL). The NFC was created after the league merged with the American Football League (AFL) in early 1970. The NFC had 13 teams that year, all of which played in the NFL before the merger. Meanwhile, all of the former AFL teams along with the NFL's Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts formed the American Football Conference (AFC).

Since the merger, three expansion teams have joined the NFC, thus making the current total 16. When the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the league in 1976, they were temporarily placed in the NFC and AFC, respectively, for one season before they switched conferences. The Seahawks returned to the NFC as a result of the 2002 realignment. The Carolina Panthers joined the NFC in 1995.

These 16 teams are organized into four divisions (North, South, East, and West) of four teams each. Each team plays the other teams in their division twice (home and away) during the regular season in addition to 10 other games/teams assigned to their schedule by the NFL in the April before. Two of these games are assigned on the basis of the teams' final record in the previous season. The remaining 8 games are split between the roster of two other NFL divisions. This assignment shifts each year. For instance, in the 2006 regular season, each team in the NFC East will play a game apiece against each team in both the AFC South and the NFC South. In this way division competition consists of common opponents, with the exception of the 2 games assigned on the strength of the each team's prior season record.

At the end of each season, a series of playoff games are contested among the top six teams in the NFC, consisting of the four division champions (by place standing) and the two other teams ("wild cards") with the best won-loss records. The NFC playoffs culminate in the NFC Championship Game for the George Halas Trophy. The winner plays the AFC Champion in the Super Bowl.

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