What Are the NFC and AFC?

If you are a fan of football or football sports betting with sites such as www.fanduel.com, you are probably familiar with the NFC and AFC. Much like other sports leagues, the NFL splits its teams into two conferences, and these are those.

Functionally, there are few differences between the two conferences, and their names, the AFC and NFC, are a by-product of the AFL-NFL merger that happened around 1970. 

The two former leagues joined up to make one league with one another after many decades of rivalry. There are no differences in rules like there are in the baseball leagues, but there are historical differences between these two teams. 

Let's take a deeper look into these two conferences so that you can see where they differ the most, and of course, which teams are in which conferences. 

The American Football Conference // A Brief Breakdown

First up, the American Football Conference.

To start, we will look at the regional divisions within the AFL and then note which teams in the AFC were once a part of the AFL before the merger. 

  • Eastern Division: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets.
  • Western Division: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers.
  • North Division: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers.
  • South Division: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans. 

These are the four divisions within the AFC, however, before the AFC became a part of the NFL, it was the AFC, and some teams are in the AFC today that were once a part of the AFL, and others that were in the AFL that is now no longer a part of the AFC.

They are as follows:

  • Buffalo Bills.
  • Miami Dolphins. 
  • New England Patriots.
  • New York Jets. 
  • Denver Broncos. 
  • Kansas City Chiefs. 
  • Oakland Raiders. 
  • San Diego Chargers. 
  • Cincinnati Bengals. 

The National Football Conference // A Brief Breakdown

Next, we have the NFC. The NFC used to be the NFL before the merger.

We will also start off having a look at the regional divisions, and then we will look at the teams within the NFL before the merger took place. 

  • Eastern Division: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins.
  • West Division: Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks.
  • North Division: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings.
  • South Division: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

These are the four divisions in the NFC. The teams that are in the NFC were not always in the NFC.

Some did not even exist back in the days of the NFL, before the merger, and some may have switched between the two conferences before being placed permanently in this conference.

There are only three teams that formed the original NFL. 

  • The Arizona Cardinals. 
  • The Chicago Bears. 
  • The Green Bay Packers. 

The AFC // Distinctions

Photo: Athlon Sports

Every year, all of the aforementioned teams in the AFC will play one another, one in the home ground and another away. The conclusion of these conferences ends in the AFC championship game, where the winning team receives the 'Lamar Hunt Trophy.' 

The AFC is distinguishable by its logo, a red letter 'A' with four stars on the right. The stars in this 'A' represent the four divisions in the conference. In the AFC, their overall champions are the New England Patriots with the most titles.

The NFC // Distinctions

Much like the AFC each year, these teams will play against each other in a predetermined formula. One game is played at home, and another is played away. This will conclude the NFC Championship Game, where the winning team receives the 'George S. Halas Trophy. And do not forget, in the Super Bowl NFL event, NFC champions will play against the AFC champions. 

The logo of the NFC is a blue capital letter, 'N,' which has four stars in the middle that represent the four divisions of this conference. In the NFC, their champions are the Dallas Cowboys with the most titles, but remember, champions in these conferences are always subject to change with every year. 

Key Differences to Remember...

The main difference between these two conferences is in their history and the trophies that are won.

While NFC champions will win the George Halas Trophy, named for the late Bears owner, AFC champions get the Lamar Hunt Trophy, named for the NFL and Kansas City Chiefs founder; in terms of current differences, and this is the biggest one. 

Featured Image: Athlon Sports