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The AFL and NFL merger was the driving factor for what the NFL is today. The NFL had always had rival leagues try to take over, with many failing due to financial reasons. The NFL absorbed the AAFC, but ten years later, the AFL debuted. In 1960, there were eight franchises, with teams in Boston, Buffalo, New York City, Houston, Denver, Dallas, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Some of these squads shared markets with established NFL teams. The AFL eventually moved teams to Kansas City and San Diego.
Between these two leagues, there was a lot of clashing, as the AFL was more financially steady than other competing leagues. They would also clash against NFL teams in bidding wars for players coming out of college. The NFL eventually sat down and discussed a merger. This would bring the league to 24 teams, and was to be increased by two over the next few seasons. The agreement included the addition of a few new teams, as well as established franchises keeping their locations.
In the end, the NFL came out as winners, but what we know as the NFL today is a result of the AFL pushing the NFL's boundaries and expanding to new areas. Smaller markets now se a larger focus because of the leadup to the merger between both leagues. The 32-team NFL we see today owes quite a bit to the AFL-NFL merger.
Since the AFL and NFL merger back in 1970, many teams have relocated to new areas. Some were going from one city to another, and then right back to their original city. In 1982, the Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles after the team won the right to move in a court case with the NFL. The Raiders played in Los Angeles for 13 years before returning to Oakland in 1995. Meanwhie, the Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in the same year. In 2016, the Rams ended up moving to Los Angeles after 21 seasons in St. Louis. The San Diego Chargers also relocated to Los Angeles, giving the city two NFL franchises. And, after no shortage of moves over the years, the Raiders began calling Las Vegas home in 2020.
In 1984, the Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis, where they have remained since. One of the most controversial moves came in 1996, as the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore, becoming the Ravens. This left a vacancy in Cleveland, and there was a three-year gap where there was no NFL team in the city. In 1999, the Browns rejoined the league as an expansion franchise.
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The NFL has expanded its international interest over the last few years. Plenty of games have been played in areas like Mexico City and London. There have also been talks of a potential team in London, although the league's travel schedule is already hectic enough, leading to pushback from players. London has been the major city of choice for the NFL, which is interesting given Toronto's proximity to Buffalo and Detroit. Stadiums would not be a tough sell for the NFL, as London has opened Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to the league for use already.
We could potentially see an expansion in the works which would bring the league to 33 teams, although relocation of a small market team might be the more likely option. There are still plenty of hurdles for the NFL to clear when it coes to moving across the pond. Some of these factors include establishing a true new team market, revenue sharing, league schedule, taxes, and competition from established teams. Additionally, in free agency, London might not be an ideal spot for players to relocate their families.
At some point in the future, there will likely be an international football team. In the meantime, we will continue to see teams play in other areas of the world as the NFL tries to build their global brand. We have seen an increasing amount of sports leagues successfully hosting games in other countries around the world. Whether or not that leads to an expansion team overseas is still up in the air.
There are 32 NFL football teams that are divided into two conferences, with four divisions in each conference. Every team is currently in the United States, with no international teams as seen in other major sports.
There are a total of eight divisions in the NFL, with four teams in each division. These teams and divisions are grouped by location, with the NFC South and AFC West being two major examples.
The NFL has two conferences, the NFC and the AFC. Both conferences consist of four divisions, with 16 total teams. The NFL has maintained balance over the years, with both conferences keeping the same amount of teams.
Teams mostly relocate for financial reasons as they expand into more lucrative markets. We have recently seen teams move to Los Angeles and Las Vegas from smaller locations.
NFL teams cannot purchase players from another NFL team like soccer. Once a player is under contract with a team, they remain with that team until the contract is terminated or they are traded to another team. Players can be signed during free agency.
Unlike football in the rest of the world, American Football does not have a relegation system in place because there is only one league. The bottom teams will remain in the NFL each season, which bodes well for teams that consistently underperform.
There are a few states with more than one NFL team.
Plenty of states with active NFL teams have access to sports betting. For example, Detroit Lions fans in the state of Michigan can place bets on their favorite team thanks to the legalization of mobile sports wagering. The top sports betting apps are now fully available in the state of Michigan.
Additionally, Michigan online casinos have fully launched in the area. With the different iGaming apps available, anyone of legal betting age can play games like baccarat and blackjack on the go. The legal betting age in the state is 21 and up.