View source for American Football Conference

{{short description|One of two conferences in the National Football League}}
{{for-multi|the 1940s American football league|All-America Football Conference|the league that operated from 1959 to 1961|American Football Conference (1959–1961)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title        = American Football Conference
| league       = [[National Football League]]
| logo         = American Football Conference logo.svg
| caption      = American Football Conference logo<br>(2010–present)
| logo_size    = 150 px
| formerly     = [[American Football League]] (AFL)
| sport        = [[American football]]
| founded      = 1970
| teams        = 16
| most_titles  = [[New England Patriots]] (12 titles)
| champ_season = [[2025 NFL season|2025]]
| champion     = New England Patriots (12th title)
}}
The '''American Football Conference''' ('''AFC''') is one of the two [[Athletic conference|conferences]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL), the highest level of professional [[American football]] in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the [[National Football Conference]] (NFC), each have 16 teams organized into four [[Division (sport)|divisions]]. Both conferences were created as part of the [[AFL–NFL merger|1970 merger]] between the National Football League, and the [[American Football League]] (AFL). All ten of the AFL teams, and three NFL teams, became members of the new AFC, with the remaining thirteen NFL teams forming the NFC. A series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger, thus making the current total of 16 teams in each conference. The current AFC champions are the [[New England Patriots]], who defeated the [[Denver Broncos]] in the [[2025 NFL season|2025 season]]'s [[AFC Championship Game]] for their twelfth conference championship.

As of {{year}}, the AFC only has one defined officer, the president, which is essentially an honorary position with few powers and mostly ceremonial duties, including awarding the conference championship trophy.<ref name="NFL Bylaws">{{Cite web |date=2006 |title=Constitution and Bylaws of the National Football League |url=https://www.onlabor.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/co_.pdf |access-date=December 29, 2025 |website=OnLabor |pages=26–35}}</ref>

==Teams==
Like the NFC, the conference has 16 teams organized into four [[Division (sport)|divisions]] each with four teams: [[AFC East|East]], [[AFC North|North]], [[AFC South|South]] and [[AFC West|West]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25549819/2019-nfl-pro-bowl-selections-all-32-teams-full-nfc-afc-rosters|title=2019 Pro Bowl selections for every team: Full NFC, AFC rosters|date=December 19, 2018|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/sports/football/parity-afc-becomes-a-conference-of-haves-and-have-nots.html|title=Parity? A.F.C. Is Made Up of Haves and Have-Nots|last=Stuart|first=Chase|date=December 16, 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 23, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/01/02/nfl-playoffs-fatal-flaw-that-could-stop-your-favorite-team-winning-super-bowl/|title=2018 NFL playoffs: The fatal flaw that could stop your favorite team from winning the Super Bowl|website=The Wall Street Journal|author-first1=Neil|author-last1=Greenberg|date=January 2, 2019}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
! Division
! Team
! Stadium
! Location
!Ref(s)
|-
! style=background:white rowspan=4 | [[AFC East|East]]
| '''[[Buffalo Bills]]'''
| [[New Highmark Stadium]]
| [[Orchard Park (town), New York|Orchard Park, New York]]
|<ref name="BillsStadium2">{{cite news|url=http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/A-look-through-history-of-the-home-of-the-Buffalo-Bills-/1ddb40bf-8f16-4b65-83b0-040afc536951|title=A look through history of the home of the Buffalo Bills|last=Baker|first=Kelly|date=August 18, 2016|access-date=August 22, 2016|publisher=Buffalo Bills|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821074722/http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/A-look-through-history-of-the-home-of-the-Buffalo-Bills-/1ddb40bf-8f16-4b65-83b0-040afc536951|archive-date=August 21, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Miami Dolphins]]'''
| [[Hard Rock Stadium]]
| [[Miami Gardens, Florida]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hardrockstadium.com/faqs/|title=FAQs|publisher=Hard Rock Stadium|access-date=August 19, 2016|quote=What is capacity in the new Stadium? The capacity is being reduced from 76,018 to approximately 65,326 seats.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922231817/http://hardrockstadium.com/faqs|archive-date=September 22, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[New England Patriots]]'''
| [[Gillette Stadium]]
| [[Foxborough, Massachusetts]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gillettestadium.com/venue-information#quickhits|title=Gillette Stadium - Venue Information|publisher=Gillette Stadium|access-date=August 19, 2016|archive-date=April 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428142344/http://www.gillettestadium.com/venue-information#quickhits|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[New York Jets]]'''
| [[MetLife Stadium]]
| [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metlifestadium.com/stadium/seating-maps|title=MetLife Stadium|date=August 6, 2015|publisher=MetLife Stadium|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref>
|-
! style=background:white rowspan=4 | [[AFC North|North]]
| '''[[Baltimore Ravens]]'''
| [[M&T Bank Stadium]]
| [[Baltimore|Baltimore, Maryland]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baltimoreravens.com/gameday/mt-bank-stadium.html|title=M&T Stadium|date=August 7, 2015|publisher=Baltimore Ravens|access-date=August 7, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Cincinnati Bengals]]'''
| [[Paycor Stadium]]
| [[Cincinnati|Cincinnati, Ohio]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bengals.com/stadium/facts.html|title=Facts and Stats|date=August 7, 2015|publisher=Cincinnati Bengals|access-date=August 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150830075100/https://www.bengals.com/stadium/facts.html|archive-date=August 30, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Cleveland Browns]]'''
| [[Huntington Bank Field]]
| [[Cleveland|Cleveland, Ohio]]
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 13, 2023 |title=Browns drop agreement with FirstEnergy, change stadium name |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-drop-agreement-with-firstenergy-change-stadium-name |access-date=December 1, 2023 |website=NFL.com|agency=Associated Press |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Pittsburgh Steelers]]'''
| [[Acrisure Stadium]]
| [[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heinzfield.com/stadium/heinz-field-facts/|title=Heinz Field Facts|date=August 7, 2015|publisher=Heinz Field|access-date=August 7, 2015|archive-date=October 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003160106/http://heinzfield.com/stadium/heinz-field-facts/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
! style=background:white rowspan=4 | [[AFC South|South]]
| '''[[Houston Texans]]'''
| [[NRG Stadium]]
| [[Houston|Houston, Texas]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nrgpark.com/nrg-stadium|title=NRG Stadium|date=August 7, 2015|publisher=NRG Park|access-date=August 7, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Indianapolis Colts]]'''
| [[Lucas Oil Stadium]]
| [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lucasoilstadium.com/about.aspx|title=About|publisher=Lucas Oil Stadium|access-date=August 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306232023/http://lucasoilstadium.com/about.aspx|archive-date=March 6, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Jacksonville Jaguars]]'''
| [[EverBank Stadium]]
| [[Jacksonville, Florida]]
|<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jacksonville.com/sports/20180212/jaguars-announce-tarp-removal-2018-season-ticket-renewal-plan|title=Jaguars announce tarp removal, 2018 season-ticket renewal plan|last=O'Hallaran|first=Ryan|date=February 12, 2018|newspaper=Florida Times-Union|access-date=June 15, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Tennessee Titans]]'''
| [[Nissan Stadium (Nashville)|Nissan Stadium]]
| [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prod.static.titans.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/mediaguide/2016TennesseeTitansMediaGuide.pdf#page=2 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://prod.static.titans.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/mediaguide/2016TennesseeTitansMediaGuide.pdf#page=2 |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Titans Fingertip Information|date=July 21, 2016|work=2016 Tennessee Titans Media Guide|publisher=Tennessee Titans|access-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref>
|-
! style=background:white rowspan=4 | [[AFC West|West]]
| '''[[Denver Broncos]]'''
| [[Empower Field at Mile High]]
| [[Denver|Denver, Colorado]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsauthorityfieldatmilehigh.com/stadium-information/about-us/facts-figures|title=Facts - Figures – Sports Authority Field at Mile High|date=August 6, 2015|publisher=Denver Broncos|access-date=August 6, 2015|archive-date=March 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315173809/http://www.sportsauthorityfieldatmilehigh.com/stadium-information/about-us/facts-figures|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Kansas City Chiefs]]'''
| [[Arrowhead Stadium]]
| [[Kansas City, Missouri]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prod.static.chiefs.clubs.nfl.com/assets/pdf/2016/2016MediaGuide.pdf#page=382 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://prod.static.chiefs.clubs.nfl.com/assets/pdf/2016/2016MediaGuide.pdf#page=382 |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Homes of the Chiefs|date=August 15, 2016|work=2016 Kansas City Chiefs Media Guide|publisher=Kansas City Chiefs|access-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Las Vegas Raiders]]'''
| [[Allegiant Stadium]]
| [[Paradise, Nevada]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prod.static.raiders.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/Oakland-Raiders-Media-Guide.pdf#page=9 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://prod.static.raiders.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/Oakland-Raiders-Media-Guide.pdf#page=9 |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Quick Facts|date=August 28, 2015|work=2015 Oakland Raiders Media Guide|publisher=Oakland Raiders|access-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| '''[[Los Angeles Chargers]]'''
|[[SoFi Stadium]]
| [[Inglewood, California]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/qualcomm/about/factguide.shtml|title=Stadium Fact Guide|date=August 7, 2015|publisher=City of San Diego|access-date=August 7, 2015|archive-date=November 18, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061118112146/http://www.sandiego.gov/qualcomm/about/factguide.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|}

==Season structure==
<!--Table must be updated for AFC champions-->
{{main|NFL regular season|NFL playoffs}}

<div class="thumb floatright">
<div class="thumbinner" style="width:375px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! {{abbr|POS|Position}} !! AFC East !! AFC North !! AFC South !! AFC West
|-
| 1st || style="background-color:#ffaa00"|[[Buffalo Bills|Bills]] || style="background-color:#ffaa00"|[[Baltimore Ravens|Ravens]] || style="background-color:#ffff00"|[[Houston Texans|Texans]] || style="background-color:#00ff00"|[[Kansas City Chiefs|Chiefs]]
|-
| 2nd || [[Miami Dolphins|Dolphins]] || [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Steelers]] || style="background-color:#ffff00"|[[Indianapolis Colts|Colts]] || style="background-color:#add8e6"|[[Los Angeles Chargers|Chargers]]
|-
| 3rd || [[New York Jets|Jets]] || [[Cincinnati Bengals|Bengals]] || style="background-color:#ffff00"|[[Jacksonville Jaguars|Jaguars]] || style="background-color:#add8e6"|[[Denver Broncos|Broncos]]
|-
| 4th || [[New England Patriots|Patriots]] || [[Cleveland Browns|Browns]] || style="background-color:#ffff00"|[[Tennessee Titans|Titans]] || style="background-color:#add8e6"|[[Las Vegas Raiders|Raiders]]
|-
! {{abbr|POS|Position}} !! NFC East !! NFC North !! NFC South !! NFC West
|-
| 1st || style="background-color:#ffff00"|[[Philadelphia Eagles|Eagles]] || style="background-color:#ffcccc"|[[Detroit Lions|Lions]] || [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers|Buccaneers]] || [[Los Angeles Rams|Rams]]
|-
| 2nd || style="background-color:#ffff00"|[[Washington Commanders|Commanders]] || [[Minnesota Vikings|Vikings]] || [[Atlanta Falcons|Falcons]] || [[Seattle Seahawks|Seahawks]]
|-
| 3rd || style="background-color:#ffff00"|[[Dallas Cowboys|Cowboys]] || [[Green Bay Packers|Packers]] || [[Carolina Panthers|Panthers]] || [[Arizona Cardinals|Cardinals]]
|-
| 4th || style="background-color:#ffff00"|[[New York Giants|Giants]] || [[Chicago Bears|Bears]] || [[New Orleans Saints|Saints]] || [[San Francisco 49ers|49ers]]
|}
<div class="thumbcaption">
This chart of the [[2024 NFL season#Regular season standings|2024 season standings]] displays an application of the NFL scheduling formula. The [[2024 Kansas City Chiefs season|Chiefs in 2024]] (highlighted in green) finished in first place in the [[AFC West]]. Thus, [[2025 Kansas City Chiefs season|in 2025]], the Chiefs will play two games against each of its division rivals (highlighted in light blue), one game against each team in the [[AFC South]] and [[NFC East]] (highlighted in yellow), and one game each against the first-place finishers in the [[AFC East]], [[AFC North]] (highlighted in orange) and [[NFC North]] (highlighted in pink).</div>
</div>
</div>
Currently, the fourteen opponents each team faces over the 17-game regular season schedule are set using a predetermined formula:

Each AFC team plays the other teams in their respective division twice (home and away) during the regular season, in addition to eleven other games assigned to their schedule by the NFL: three games are assigned on the basis of a particular team's final divisional standing from the previous season, and the remaining eight games are split between the roster of two other NFL divisions. This assignment shifts each year and will follow a standard cycle. Using the 2023 regular season schedule as an example, each team in the AFC West plays against every team in the AFC East and NFC North. In this way, non-divisional competition will be mostly among common opponents – the exception being the three games assigned based on the team's prior-season divisional standing.

At the end of each season, the four division winners and three [[Wild card (sports)|wild cards]] (non-division winners with best regular season record) in the AFC qualify for the [[NFL playoffs|playoffs]]. The AFC playoffs culminate in the [[AFC Championship Game]], with the winner receiving the [[Lamar Hunt]] Trophy. The AFC champion then plays the [[National Football Conference|NFC]] champion in the [[Super Bowl]]. As of 2025 the AFC representative team has won the Super Bowl 27 out of the 55 total editions, with the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] being the most recent AFC Super Bowl winner in [[Super Bowl LVIII|2024]]. The [[New England Patriots]] have won the most AFC championships with 12, and share the record for the most Super Bowls won by a member of the conference with the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] who won 8 AFC championships with 6.

==History==
[[File:Oldafclogo.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Original American Football Conference logo, based on the AFL logo with blue stars]]
With the impending [[AFL–NFL merger|merger]] with the [[American Football League]] (AFL) for the [[1970 NFL season]], the league discussed which teams would play in the newly instituted conferences. The then-president of the NFL and owner of the [[Cleveland Browns]], [[Art Modell]], suggested a format in which three teams from the NFL would move to the AFC to create two thirteen-team conferences. There was contention between NFL commissioner [[Pete Rozelle]] and the other owners over which teams would be required to change conferences (for his part, Modell had first assumed the three most recent expansion NFL teams – [[Minnesota Vikings]], [[Atlanta Falcons]], [[New Orleans Saints]] – would be the ones to move to the AFC); some owners wanted no realignment at all.<ref name="s806">{{Cite web |last=Clayton |first=John |author-link=John Clayton (sportswriter) |title=When Modell took one for the league |url=http://static.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1202791.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250115021116/https://static.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1202791.html |archive-date=January 15, 2025 |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/WAKI-ViewArticle.aspx?pin=x-fo055624a&article_id=608&chapter_id=13&chapter_title=Sports&article_title=Pro_Football_History|title=Pro Football – History|access-date=April 3, 2009|archive-date=January 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104075832/http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/WAKI-ViewArticle.aspx?pin=x-fo055624a&article_id=608&chapter_id=13&chapter_title=Sports&article_title=Pro_Football_History|url-status=dead}}</ref> The AFL had begun play in 1960 with eight teams, and had added two more before the merger (the [[Miami Dolphins]] in 1966 and the [[Cincinnati Bengals]] in 1968).

Modell was hospitalized for internal bleeding around the time negotiations were taking place. He was also struggling to service the debt he incurred from his purchase of the Browns, and realized there was an opportunity to establish a [[Bengals–Browns rivalry|lucrative in-state rivalry]] with the newly established Bengals, who had been founded by [[Paul Brown]] after Modell had forced him out of Cleveland after purchasing the team.

When Modell was visited in the hospital by [[Art Rooney]] (owner of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]) and [[Wellington Mara]] (owner of the [[New York Giants]]), Modell offered to have his franchise move to the AFC, provided two other "old guard" franchises did so as well and the three affected teams to move were adequately compensated for joining what was still looked down on in NFL circles as a "junior" or "inferior" circuit. Not wanting to lose his [[Browns–Steelers rivalry|long-established rivalry]] with Cleveland, the equally cash-strapped Rooney quickly agreed to join the Browns in the AFC. The other NFL owner to ultimately agree to move was [[Carroll Rosenbloom]] of the then-[[Baltimore Colts]].

Thus, in order to equalize the number of teams in each conference, three NFL teams that predated the AFL's launch (the Browns, Steelers, and Colts) joined the ten former AFL teams to form the AFC in exchange for $3 million each in indemnities, with the announcement coming on May 10, 1969.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/on-this-day-in-1969-a-brand-new-nfl-took-shape-0ap3000001113428 |title=On this day in 1969, a brand-new NFL took shape |publisher=National Football League |date=May 10, 2020 |access-date=February 10, 2025}}</ref> The two AFL divisions [[AFL East]] and [[AFL West]] were more or less intact, while the NFL's [[National Football League Century Division|Century Division]], in which the Browns and the Steelers had played since 1967, was moved from the NFL to become the new AFC Central. Upon the completion of the merger in 1970, the newly minted American Football Conference had already agreed upon their divisional setup along mostly geographical lines for the [[1970 NFL season|1970 season]]; the National Football Conference, however, could not agree upon their setup, and one was chosen from a fishbowl on January 16, 1970.

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 [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] joined the league in 1976, they were temporarily placed in the NFC and AFC, respectively. This arrangement lasted for one season before the two teams switched conferences. The Seahawks eventually returned to the NFC as a result of the [[2002 NFL season#Expansion and realignment|2002 realignment]]. The expansion [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] joined the AFC in 1995. There have been five teams that have relocated at least once. In 1984, the Colts [[Baltimore Colts relocation to Indianapolis|relocated]] to Indianapolis. In 1995, the Browns attempted to move to Baltimore; the resulting [[Cleveland Browns relocation controversy|dispute]] between Cleveland and the team led to Modell establishing the [[Baltimore Ravens]] with the players and personnel from the Browns, while the Browns were placed in suspended operations before they were reinstated by the NFL. The Ravens were treated as an expansion team.

In [[California]], the [[Oakland Raiders]] relocated to [[Los Angeles]] in 1982, back to Oakland in 1995, and then to [[Las Vegas]] in 2020, while the [[History of the San Diego Chargers|San Diego Chargers]] returned to [[Los Angeles]] in 2017 after 56 years in [[San Diego]].

The [[History of the Houston Oilers|Houston Oilers]] moved to [[Tennessee]] in 1997, where they were renamed the Tennessee Oilers. The team would change its name again, two years later, to the [[Tennessee Titans]].

The NFL would again expand in 2002, adding the [[Houston Texans]] to the AFC. With the exception of the aforementioned relocations since that time, the divisional setup has remained static ever since.

Between 1995 and 2022, the AFC has sent only 9 of its 16 teams to the [[Super Bowl]]: [[New England Patriots]] (10 times), [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] (4 times), [[Denver Broncos]] (4 times), [[Baltimore Ravens]] (twice), [[Indianapolis Colts]] (twice), [[Kansas City Chiefs]] (3 times), [[Cincinnati Bengals]] (once), [[Las Vegas Raiders]] (once), [[Tennessee Titans]] (once). By contrast, the [[National Football Conference|NFC]] has sent 13 of the 16 NFC teams during that same time frame with only the [[Detroit Lions]], [[Minnesota Vikings]], and [[Washington Commanders]] missing out on an appearance in the [[Super Bowl]]. 17 of the 19 AFC champions from 2001 to 2019 started one of just three quarterbacks – [[Tom Brady]], [[Peyton Manning]] and [[Ben Roethlisberger]] – in the Super Bowl. The AFC has started 7 quarterbacks in the last 20 Super Bowls, while the NFC has started 16.

==Logo==
[[Image:American Football Conference logo old.svg|right|thumb|2nd American Football Conference logo used from 1970 to 2009|216x216px]] The original AFC logo was very similar to the AFL logo, however the merged league quickly created an updated logo for the AFC that, while preserving the basic elements of the old AFL logo, used a much bolder red "A" and six similarly bold red stars surrounding it, in contrast to the six blue AFL stars. The league also created a logo for the NFC in 1970, which like the AFL and AFC logos also contained only the first letter as opposed to a full abbreviation, but with only three stars (to represent the then-three divisions of the Conference). The AFC logo basically remained unchanged from 1970 to 2009. The 2010 NFL season introduced an updated AFC logo, with the most notable revision being the removal of two stars (leaving four representing the four divisions of the AFC), and moving the stars inside the letter, similar to the NFC logo, which itself was updated at the same time to add a fourth star.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uniwatchblog.com/2010/03/02/but-i-absolutely-refuse-to-write-about-the-draft-caps/ |title=But I Absolutely Refuse to Write About the Draft Caps |author=Paul Lukas |publisher=Uni Watch blog |access-date=April 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506134900/http://www.uniwatchblog.com/2010/03/02/but-i-absolutely-refuse-to-write-about-the-draft-caps/ |archive-date=May 6, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Kansas City Chiefs]] (still owned by the descendants of AFL founder [[Lamar Hunt]]) continue to regularly feature the original AFL logo on their jerseys as of {{year}}.

==Television==
{{Further|NFL on television|History of the NFL on television}}

After the [[AFL–NFL merger|1970 merger]] was officially completed, the combined league retained the services of [[NFL on CBS|CBS]] and [[NFL on NBC|NBC]], who were the primary broadcasters of the NFL and the AFL, respectively. It was originally decided that CBS would televise all NFC teams (the "NFC package") and NBC would be responsible for all AFC teams (the "AFC package"). For interconference games, CBS would broadcast them if the visiting team was from the NFC, and NBC if the visitors were from the AFC. A deal was also signed for [[NFL on ABC|ABC]] to televise ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' (''MNF''), a marquee game regardless of the conference of the two opponents. The league would eventually carve out additional marquee packages such as ''[[ESPN Sunday Night Football|Sunday Night Football]]'' (''SNF'') on [[NFL on ESPN|ESPN]] in 1987 and ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' (''TNF'') on [[NFL Network]] in 2006.

These packages shifted between broadcasters. The NFC package moved from CBS to [[NFL on Fox|Fox]] in 1994, CBS took over the AFC package from NBC in 1998, and then the league introduced "cross-flexing" in 2014 to assign CBS and Fox select games from the other conference. ESPN in 1987 originally only televised ''SNF'' for the second half of the season, TNT began televising ''SNF'' for the first half of the season in 1990, ESPN took over ''SNF'' throughout the entire season in 1998, and the entire package moved to NBC in 2006. ESPN then took over ''MNF'' from ABC in 2006 before letting its sister network to air select games (either simulcast or exclusive) in 2020. ''TNF'' games also were simulcast on CBS or NBC (2014–2017), Fox (2018–2021), and [[NFL on Prime Video|Amazon Prime Video]] (2017–2021) before Prime Video acquired exclusive rights to the package in 2022.

For the playoffs, it was originally decided in 1970 that the holder of the AFC package (then NBC, now CBS) would televise all AFC games, the holder of the NFC package (then CBS, now Fox) would televise all NFC games, and the Super Bowl would rotate annually between NBC for odd-numbered games and CBS for even-numbered games. ABC was added to the Super Bowl rotation in the 1984 season and then would start airing the two Wild Card games (regardless of conference) that were added when the playoffs expanded to 12 teams in 1990. ABC's postseason rights moved to NBC in 2006 when the former lost ''MNF'' and the latter won ''SNF''. 2014 saw ESPN take away the rights to one Wild Card game from NBC, and NBC a Divisional playoff game from CBS in even years and Fox in odd years. The 2020 playoff expansion to a 14-team system then gave the league two extra games to offer short-term deals to interested broadcasters.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{National Football League}}
{{Navboxes|list=
{{Baltimore Ravens}}
{{Buffalo Bills}}
{{Cincinnati Bengals}}
{{Cleveland Browns}}
{{Denver Broncos}}
{{Houston Texans}}
{{Indianapolis Colts}}
{{Jacksonville Jaguars}}
{{Kansas City Chiefs}}
{{Las Vegas Raiders}}
{{Los Angeles Chargers}}
{{Miami Dolphins}}
{{New England Patriots}}
{{New York Jets}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers}}
{{Tennessee Titans}}
}}

[[Category:National Football League]]
[[Category:American Football League|Conference]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1970]]