Football is one of the most popular American sports and the National Football League (NFL) is considered the most popular of the professional leagues. As far as numbers go, the NFL currently has 32 teams, all divided into two separate conferences. The American Football Conference (AFC), comprised of 16 teams, is located in the Eastern and Central timeframe; while the National Football Conference (NFC) is made up of the remaining 16 teams which play their games in the West and the South.
Since the National Football League was first established in 1920, there have been numerous teams that have come and gone, some of them only existing for a single season. The most recent team to part ways from the NFL is the Houston Texans who joined in 2002 and left in 2020. Other former teams include the St. Louis Rams, who transferred to Los Angeles in 2016; and the Seattle Seahawks who entered the league in 1976 and played there for nearly four decades before leaving in 2013.
The number of teams in the NFL has remained at 32 for quite some time. This is because the current NFL design dictates that each conference has 16 teams. This means that after one team departs, another one would typically take its place. However, the 2021 season could see an exception to this rule. The NFL is currently in discussion with the City of St. Louis to potentially start a new expansion team, meaning that the number of teams could go up to 33.
But when it comes to the number of teams in the NFL, it’s not just about having an even number across both conferences. Each team in the NFL has to meet certain standards of size, equipment, and talent in order to keep playing in the league. The league has a committee that looks over all the teams in the league and carries out performance evaluations from time to time. These assessments are necessary for the teams’ survival, as teams that are found lacking in one or more criteria could face termination.
In addition to that, the teams in the NFL have to keep up with the league’s rules and regulations. New regulations are being added to the league as the years go by, and teams have to comply with these regulations in order to stay in the league. This includes regulations around safety, team scheduling and even how teams perform on the field. If teams fail to meet these standards, they risk losing their spot in the NFL.
The NFL also takes into account potential risk factors when considering the number of teams in the league. For example, teams that do not have enough experienced personnel and equipment can become liabilities and risks to the league, while teams that enjoy unhappy fans and fan unrest can have a negative impact on the reputation of the NFL.
It is also possible for teams to be relocated or even disbanded if the team’s performance remains lackluster for too long. The league also looks into potential lawsuits or other legal issues that a team may face which could also be grounds for termination.
At the end of the day, the NFL is in charge of the number of teams in the league. The league can decide whether or not to add a team, relocate a team, or even shut a team down if they are not seen to be performing as per the league’s standards. The number of teams in the NFL will remain at 32 teams for the 2021 season, but that could change depending on how things turn out the following year.