Timeline of the National Football League

This timeline of the National Football League tracks franchises from the early days of the league, through merger with the AFL. The history of franchises that began as independent teams, or as members of the Ohio League, New York Pro Football League, and other defunct leagues are shown as well.

1920
The American Professional Football Association is formed. The fourteen teams were mainly drawn from the Ohio League or the New York Pro Football League. A $100 membership fee was charged. The Chicago Tigers folded after season.

1921
Number of teams increased to 21. Four teams lasted only one season. Three other franchises folded.

1922
The APFA was renamed the National Football League. Four new franchises awarded.

1923
A new and distinct Cleveland Indians franchise was formed. Two other teams joined the NFL, the Duluth Kelleys and the St. Louis All Stars. The St. Louis team folded after one season.

1924
Before the season, the owner of the Cleveland Indians bought the Canton Bulldogs and "mothballed" it, taking the team's nickname and players to Cleveland for the season. The Canton Bulldogs had won the NFL championship in 1923, and won it again as the Cleveland Bulldogs in 1924.

1925
The Canton Bulldogs were reactivated. Four other franchises were awarded. This was the final season for the Rochester Jeffersons.

1926
The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Angeles Buccaneers, and the Louisville Colonels, with Racine Tornadoes re-entering.

1927
Prior to the season, the league decided to eliminate the financially weaker teams. As a result, the league dropped from 22 to 12 teams, and a majority of the remaining teams were centered around the East Coast instead of the Midwest, where the NFL had started. The New York Yankees were added from the American Football League and the Cleveland Bulldogs returned.

1928
The NFL drops to ten teams. Two teams had folded, the Buffalo Bisons sat out the season and the Cleveland Bulldogs moved and played as the Detroit Wolverines.

1929
The league increased back to 12 teams with the addition of two franchises, the Staten Island Stapletons, and the Orange Tornadoes. Two mothballed teams activated for the season. Minneapolis re-entered as the Red Jackets and the re-entry of the Buffalo Bisons.

1930
Prior to the season, Brooklyn businessmen William B. Dwyer and John C. Depler bought the Dayton Triangles, moved it, and renamed it the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Orange Tornadoes relocated to Newark. The Portsmouth Spartans entered as a new team.

1931
The league decreased to 10 teams due to financial hardships caused by the Great Depression. While the Cleveland Indians joined as an expansion team, the league lost the Minneapolis Red Jackets and the Newark Tornadoes. Even the Frankford Yellow Jackets had to fold midway through the season.

1932
The Boston Braves (now Washington Redskins) enfranchised.

1933

 * Three new teams enfranchised:
 * Cincinnati Reds
 * Philadelphia Eagles
 * Pittsburgh Pirates (now Pittsburgh Steelers)
 * League split into Eastern and Western Divisions.

1934

 * Portsmouth Spartans moved to Detroit; renamed the Lions
 * Cincinnati Reds cease operations during season, and are replaced by the St Louis Gunners for the final 3 games.

1935-1936

 * Neither Cincinnati Reds nor St. Louis Gunners return for 1935 season.

1937-1939

 * Cleveland Rams (now St. Louis Rams) enfranchised
 * Boston Redskins move to Washington, D.C.

1943

 * Philadelphia and Pittsburgh merge to form "Phil-Pitt"

1944

 * Boston Yanks enfranchised.
 * Cleveland Rams resume operations.
 * Steagles end merger, Eagles resume operations
 * Steelers merge with Cardinals to form "Card-Pitt"

1945

 * Card-Pitt splits into Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers
 * Brooklyn Tigers merge with Boston Yanks, named simply "The Yanks"

1946 - 1948

 * Brooklyn Tigers cease operations
 * Boston Yanks resume normal operations
 * Cleveland Rams move to Los Angeles

1949

 * Boston Yanks cease operations
 * New York Bulldogs enfranchised from the remains of the Boston Yanks

1950

 * Eastern Division renamed to American Conference
 * Western Division renamed to National Conference
 * San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and the first Baltimore Colts all enfranchised from now-defunct All-America Football Conference. The Colts fold after the 1950 season.
 * New York Bulldogs change name to New York Yanks, move to National Conference
 * Chicago Cardinals move to American Conference

1951

 * The New York Yanks fold after the 1951 season.

1952

 * Dallas Texans enfranchised with the remains of the now-defunct New York Yanks, but fold after one season.

1953-1959

 * American Conference renamed the Eastern Conference
 * National Conference renamed the Western Conference
 * A second and distinct Baltimore Colts team enfranchised from the remains of the Dallas Texans

1960

 * American Football League (AFL) begins operations with eight teams as a rival to the NFL.
 * Dallas Cowboys enfranchised by NFL
 * Chicago Cardinals move to St. Louis

1961-1962

 * NFL enfranchises the Minnesota Vikings
 * Los Angeles Chargers move to San Diego
 * Dallas Cowboys move to Eastern Division

1963-1965

 * Dallas Texans move to Kansas City; renamed the Chiefs
 * Titans of New York renamed New York Jets

1966

 * Atlanta Falcons enfranchised by NFL
 * Miami Dolphins enfranchised by AFL

1967

 * NFL Eastern Conference divided into Capitol and Century Divisions
 * NFL Western Conference divided into Coastal and Central Divisions
 * New Orleans Saints enfranchised by NFL
 * Atlanta Falcons move to Western Conference

1968

 * Cincinnati Bengals are enfranchised
 * New York Giants move to Capitol Division
 * New Orleans Saints move to Century Division
 * Century Division moves to Western Conference
 * Central Division moves to Eastern Conference

1969

 * New York Giants move to Century Division
 * New Orleans moves to Capitol Division

1970

 * AFL and NFL merge
 * AFL Eastern and Western Divisions become AFC East and AFC West, respectively
 * AFC Central formed.
 * NFL Century Division becomes AFC Central
 * NFL Capitol Division becomes NFC East
 * NFL Central Division becomes NFC Central
 * NFL Coastal Division becomes NFC West
 * Baltimore moves to AFC East
 * Houston moves to AFC Central
 * Cincinnati moves to AFC Central
 * St. Louis moves to NFC East
 * New York Giants move to NFC East
 * New Orleans moves to NFC West

1971-1975

 * Boston Patriots are renamed New England Patriots.

1976

 * Seattle Seahawks are enfranchised
 * Tampa Bay Buccaneers are enfranchised

1977-1981

 * Seattle moves from NFC West to AFC West
 * Tampa Bay moves from AFC West to NFC Central

1982-1983

 * Oakland Raiders move to Los Angeles

1984-1987

 * Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis

1988-1993

 * St. Louis Cardinals move to Phoenix

1994

 * Phoenix Cardinals renamed Arizona Cardinals

1995

 * Jacksonville Jaguars enfranchised
 * Carolina Panthers enfranchised
 * Los Angeles Raiders move back to Oakland
 * Los Angeles Rams move to St. Louis

1996

 * Cleveland Browns franchise deactivated
 * Baltimore Ravens enfranchised with remains of deactivated Cleveland Browns

1997-1998

 * Houston Oilers announce that they will move to Nashville and are renamed the Tennesee Oilers. They play the 1997 and 1998 seasons in Memphis while a new stadium is built in Nashville.

1999-2001

 * Cleveland Browns franchise reinstated
 * Tennessee Oilers renamed Tennessee Titans

2002-present

 * The NFL realigns to create four divisions with four teams each in both conferences.
 * Arizona and Seattle join the NFC West
 * NFC Central renamed NFC North
 * AFC Central renamed AFC North
 * NFC South created
 * Tampa Bay moves from the old NFC Central
 * New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina move from the NFC West
 * AFC South created
 * Jacksonville and Tennessee move from the old AFC Central
 * Indianapolis moves from the AFC East
 * Houston Texans enfranchised