The Story Of The AFL And NFL Merger

Many people are aware of the National Football League, but few are aware that there used to be an AFL. But back in 1966 the two rival leagues merged to become one. Let’s take a look at the history between the merger of the AFL and the NFL.

The championship game of the National Football League that was played in 1958 attracted 45 million viewers to network television and ushered in the era of football being a form of entertainment that could rival baseball. With the success of the 1958 championship game wealthy businessmen from all over the country wanted in on the action. They tried to get the NFL to expand and allow them to bring in more teams, but the NFL turned down all comers.

Lamar Hunt recruited fellow businessmen from cities that wanted football and started the AFL. When the AFL was formed, it prompted the NFL to introduce two new franchises. The two leagues would compete for the upcoming years. Finally, in 1966 the two leagues decided to merge. The AFL would become the AFC and the NFL would become the NFC. The first Superbowl was played in 1966 and won by the Green Bay Packers of the NFC(NFL).