NFL–AFL merger
E3923
The NFL–AFL merger was the 1970 unification of the National Football League and the American Football League into a single league that created the modern NFL structure and led to the establishment of the Super Bowl as a championship game between the two conferences.
Aliases (3)
Statements (44)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
National Football League history event
→
historical event → sports league merger → |
| agreementDate |
1966
→
|
| category |
1970 in American football
→
National Football League expansion and realignment → sports mergers in the United States → |
| cause |
bidding war for college players between NFL and AFL
→
intense competition between NFL and AFL for players and fans → |
| conferenceStructure |
American Football Conference vs National Football Conference
→
|
| country |
United States
→
|
| effectiveDate |
1970
→
|
| governingBodyAfterMerger |
National Football League
→
|
| impact |
created long‑term AFC–NFC conference rivalry
→
ended direct competition between rival major football leagues → solidified professional football as major American sport → |
| includedProvision |
common draft of college players
→
full schedule integration by 1970 → interleague championship game later known as the Super Bowl → two-conference league structure → |
| league1 |
National Football League
→
|
| league2 |
American Football League
→
|
| ledTo |
Super Bowl becoming NFL championship game
→
end of separate AFL identity → expansion of NFL membership → increased national television contracts for professional football → standardization of rules between former NFL and AFL teams → |
| partOf |
history of the American Football League
→
history of the National Football League → |
| predecessorLeague |
American Football League (1960–1969)
→
pre‑merger National Football League → |
| relatedCompetition |
Super Bowl I
→
Super Bowl II → Super Bowl III → Super Bowl IV → |
| result |
creation of American Football Conference
→
creation of National Football Conference → creation of a single unified National Football League → creation of modern NFL structure → establishment of the Super Bowl as championship game between conferences → realignment of NFL teams into two conferences → |
| sport |
American football
→
|
| successorLeague |
modern National Football League
→
|
| televisionAspect |
helped consolidate national TV rights for professional football
→
|
Referenced by (17)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
AFC playoffs
→
NFC West → NFC playoffs → |
createdBy |
|
AFC West
("AFL–NFL merger")
→
AFC vs NFC → |
origin |
|
Miami Dolphins–New York Jets rivalry
("AFL–NFL merger")
→
|
beganAfter |
|
Denver Broncos–Las Vegas Raiders rivalry
("AFL–NFL merger")
→
|
continuedAfter |
|
Kansas City Chiefs–Los Angeles Chargers rivalry
("AFL–NFL merger")
→
|
continuedAfterMerger |
|
East Division (AFL)
("AFL–NFL merger")
→
|
dissolvedBy |
|
NFC Championship
→
|
establishedAsPartOf |
|
National Football Conference
→
|
formationEvent |
|
AFC
→
|
foundedAsPartOf |
|
National Football League expansion and realignment
("1970 AFL–NFL merger realignment")
→
|
includesEvent |
|
Super Bowl III
("AFL–NFL merger era")
→
|
leagueContext |
|
AFC Central
→
|
originatedFrom |
|
AFL Championship Game
("AFL–NFL merger")
→
|
preMergerCompetition |
|
Las Vegas Raiders–Los Angeles Chargers rivalry
("AFL–NFL merger")
→
|
relatedTo |