These are the two conferences of the NFL. NFC stands for National Football Conference, and AFC stands for American Football Conference.
Football is an enthralling game, and it is trendy in the USA. In America, the major league for football is NFL. Under the National Football League (NFL), two conferences of football teams play the games.
These conferences are NFC and AFC. Both conferences consist of 16 teams. And the champion of the NFC and AFC plays against each other in the Super Bowl event.
Many people mix up between NFC and AFC teams. They find it hard to distinguish between these teams. However, these conferences are entirely different and played by different teams.
Key Takeaways
- The National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC) are the two conferences within the National Football League (NFL), dividing the 32 teams into two groups for organizational and competitive purposes.
- NFC and AFC each have 16 teams, and they compete separately during the regular season, with the winners from each conference facing off in the Super Bowl to determine the NFL champion.
- The main distinction between NFC and AFC is their historical origins and team composition; both conferences are part of the NFL but represent different groups of teams, with separate regular-season competitions leading up to the Super Bowl.
Difference Between NFC and AFC
NFC stands for National Football Conference and consists of 16 teams which are divided into four divisions. The conference was founded in 1970 and gave out the George S. Halas Trophy. AFC means American Football Conference and has 16 teams with four divisions playing to win the Lamar Hunt Trophy.
Comparison Table for NFC vs AFC
| Parameter of Comparison | NFC | AFC |
|---|---|---|
| Full form | National Football Conference | American Football Conference |
| East Division teams | Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys | New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots |
| North Division teams | Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers | Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens |
| South Division teams | Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints | Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars |
| West Division teams | Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers | Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders |
| Trophy | George S. Halas Trophy | Lamar Hunt Trophy |
What is NFC?
The term NFC stands for the National Football Conference. It was founded in 1970. At this moment, 16 teams play in this conference. These teams are divided into four divisions.
The four teams representing the east division are Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys.
On the other hand, the four teams representing the North division are Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers.
Similarly, four teams represent the south division. These teams are Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints.
The teams representing the west division are Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers.
Every year, each team plays against the other under a pre-determined formula. One game they play in their home stadium and another one in another stadium.
The conclusion of this conference ends in the NFC Championship Game, where the winning team receives George S. Halas Trophy. Finally, in the Super Bowl event, the NFC champions played against the AFC champions.
The logo of the NFC is a blue capital letter “N” with four stars in the middle. The stars represent the four divisions of the conference. Dallas Cowboys has won the most (8 titles) in the NFC. However, the current champion in 2019 is the San Francisco 49ers.
What is AFC?
The term AFC stands for the American Football Conference. It was founded in 1970. At this moment, 16 teams play in this conference. These teams are divided into four divisions.
The four teams representing the east division are New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots.
On the other hand, the four teams representing the North division are Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens.
Similarly, four teams represent the south division. These teams are Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The West Division’s teams are Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Like NFC, every year, all teams play with each other; one on the home ground and another away. The conclusion of this conference ends in the AFC Championship Game, where the winning team receives Lamar Hunt Trophy.
The logo of the AFC is a red capital letter “A” with four stars on the right. The stars represent the four divisions of the conference. New England Patriots have won the most (11 titles) in the AFC.
However, the current champion in 2019 is the Kansas City Chiefs.
Main Differences Between NFC and AFC
- The complete form of the NFC is the National Football Conference, while the full form of the AFC is the American Football Conference.
- East division teams of the NFC are Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys. But the east division teams of the AFC are New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots.
- North division teams of the NFC are Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers. But the north division teams of the AFC are Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens.
- South division teams of the NFC are Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints. But the south division teams of the AFC are Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
- West division teams of the NFC are Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers. But the west division teams of the AFC are Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders.
- The winner of the NFC championship game gets George S. Halas Trophy, while the winner of the AFC championship gets Lamar Hunt Trophy.
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I appreciate the detailed breakdown of each division within NFC and AFC.
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I disagree with the writer’s interpretation of the history of the NFL. NFC and AFC have more to their origins than stated in the article.
This explanation is quite clear. NFC and AFC are not easy to distinguish for newcomers.
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