American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name, the 1926, 1936 and 1940 leagues, and the later All-America Football Conference (which existed between 1944 and 1950 but only played between 1946 and 1949).

This fourth version of the AFL was the most successful, created by a number of owners who had been refused NFL expansion franchises or had minor shares of NFL franchises. The AFL's original lineup consisted of an Eastern division of the New York Titans, Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and the Houston Oilers, and a Western division of the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Texans. The league first gained attention by signing 75% of the NFL's first-round draft choices in 1960, including Houston's successful signing of college star and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon.

While the first years of the AFL saw uneven competition and low attendance, the league was buttressed by a generous television contract with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (followed by a contract with the competing National Broadcasting Company [NBC] for games starting with the 1965 season) that broadcast the more offense-oriented football league nationwide. Continuing to attract top talent from colleges and the NFL by the mid-1960s, as well as successful franchise shifts of the Chargers from L.A. south to San Diego and the Texans north to Kansas City (becoming the Kansas City Chiefs), the AFL established a dedicated following. The transformation of the struggling Titans into the New York Jets under new ownership, including the signing of University of Alabama star quarterback Joe Namath, further solidified the league's reputation among the major media.

As fierce competition made player salaries skyrocket in both leagues, especially after a series of "raids", the leagues agreed to a merger in 1966. Among the conditions were a common draft and a championship game played between the two league champions first played in early 1967, which would eventually become known as the Super Bowl.

The AFL and NFL operated as separate leagues until 1970, with separate regular season and playoff schedules except for the championship game. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle also became chief executive of the AFL from July 26, 1966, through the completion of the merger. During this time the AFL expanded, adding the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. After losses by the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in the first two AFL-NFL World Championship Game to the Green Bay Packers (1966–67), the New York Jets and Chiefs won Super Bowls III and IV (1968–69) respectively, cementing the league's claim to being an equal to the NFL.

In 1970, the AFL was absorbed into the NFL and the league reorganized with the ten AFL franchises along with three existing NFL teams: the Baltimore Colts, the Cleveland Browns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, becoming part of the newly formed American Football Conference.
Q41323
American football
Concept
Q431972
when it merged
Concept
Q1215884
National Football League
ORG
Q276530
American Football Conference
ORG
Q4743809
1926
ORG
Q4743807
1936
MEDIA
Q4743808
1940
ORG
Q389307
All-America Football Conference
ORG
Q219602
New York Titans
ORG
Q193390
Boston Patriots
ORG
Q221626
Buffalo Bills
ORG
Q1439096
Houston Oilers
MEDIA
Q272220
Los Angeles Chargers
ORG
Q223507
Denver Broncos
ORG
Q324523
Oakland Raiders
ORG
Q5869848
Dallas Texans
MEDIA
Q13582318
NFL's first-round draft choices in 1960
Concept
Q1035067
Heisman Trophy
EVE
Q4912321
Billy Cannon
PER
Q169889
American Broadcasting Company
MEDIA
Q13974
National Broadcasting Company
ORG
Q16552
San Diego
LOC
Q41819
Kansas City
LOC
Q223522
Kansas City Chiefs
ORG
Q219602
New York Jets
ORG
Q492318
University of Alabama
LOC
Q720558
Joe Namath
PER
Q431972
merger in 1966
Concept
Q32096
Super Bowl
EVE
Q1215884
NFL Commissioner
ORG
Q1745380
Pete Rozelle
PER
Q223243
Miami Dolphins
ORG
Q223511
Cincinnati Bengals
ORG
Q223522
Kansas City Chiefs
ORG
Q5870124
Oakland Raiders
MEDIA
Q213837
Green Bay Packers
ORG
Q219602
New York Jets
ORG
Q939846
Super Bowls III
EVE
Q376026
IV
EVE
Q193753
Baltimore Colts
ORG
Q223527
Cleveland Browns
ORG
Q191477
Pittsburgh Steelers
ORG
Q276530
American Football Conference
ORG
Q464508
American Football League
ORG
1960-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1960
DATE
1970-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1970
DATE
1926-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1926
DATE
1936-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1936
DATE
1940-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1940
DATE
1944-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1944
DATE
1950-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1950
DATE
1946-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1946
DATE
1949-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1949
DATE
1960-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1960
DATE
1965-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1965
DATE
1966-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1966
DATE
1967-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1967
DATE
1970-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1970
DATE
1966-07-26T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
July 26, 1966
DATE
1970-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1970
DATE
+75^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
75
NUMBER
-1960^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
-1960
NUMBER
+1966^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1966
NUMBER
+67^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
67
NUMBER
+1968^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1968
NUMBER
+69^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
69
NUMBER
sport
merged into
point in time
sport
part of
sport
significant person
point in time
winner
award received
headquarters location
member of sports team
inception
winner
follows
inception