NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

(NFL) major professional football organization in the United States, founded in 1920 at Canton, Ohio, as the American Professional Football Association. Its first president was Jim Thorpe, an outstanding American athlete. The league adopted its present name in 1922. Beginning play in 1920 with 14 teams, the league struggled for much of the decade, encountering financial difficulties and limited fan support. In 1933 a number of changes were instituted, including the division of the league into two conferences, the introduction of scheduled postseason championship games, and the adoption of new rules. These modifications revitalized the game and greatly increased the league's popularity. The NFL became the strongest American professional league and survived several challenges by rival organizations, the most serious being that of the American Football League in the 1960s. The National and American leagues completed a merger in 1970, creating a 26-team circuit under the name of the older NFL. In 1976 two teams were added: the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Two more teams were added in 1995: the Carolina Panthers (based in Charlotte, North Carolina) and the Jacksonville (Florida) Jaguars. In 1999 the Cleveland Browns franchise was reinstated to replace the original team that had moved to Baltimore, Houston was awarded a franchise for the 2002 season, and the 31 teams were aligned as follows: National Conference: Eastern Division: Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins. Central Division: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Western Division: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco Forty-Niners. American Conference: Eastern Division: Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets. Central Division: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers. Western Division: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks. The league season culminates with an annual 12-team playoff tournament leading to the Super Bowl for the world-championship title. The NFL has headquarters in New York City and since 1963 has maintained a professional football hall of fame in Canton, Ohio.