Difference Between NFC and AFC

By: | Updated: Dec-13, 2021
The contents of the Difference.guru website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this site (“Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website!

When it comes to your favorite football teams, you cannot help but watch them play on TV. But what is the significance of the National Football Conference? What is the American Football Conference? In this article, we will discuss about the difference between NFC and AFC. Read on to know more about them!

Whether you root for the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys or even the New York Giants, you understand the importance of being in one conference and not another. The rules of the game are different in each conference as well as the way the teams are placed in a division.

These conferences are also known as the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Why do these names exist? The answer is very simple. These names were given to these conferences by the National Football League (NFL).

It was for the convenience of the teams and fans. The NFL, which is considered as the top professional football league in the world, often changes its name or conference depending on how it wishes to classify its teams. It is like an insurance policy for its teams. The NFL has a number of conferences, but there are more than two top level ones in North America.

Summary:

NFC AFC
NFC is headquartered in New York AFC is headquartered in Indianapolis
NFC has a more complex playoff system AFC has a simple and less complex playoff system
NFC has a tie-breaking team and one team will be crowned champions AFC does not have a tie-breaking team and co-champions

Difference Between NFC and AFC

What is the NFC?

The National Football Conference (NFC) is a professional American football division that currently consists of 16 teams. The conference was formed in 1970 when several teams from the old NFL announced their departure to form a new rival league. The conference was formed as an alternative to seven of the original eight AFL teams that had withdrawn from competition within ten years in 1966.

When it comes to these three major conferences in American football, you will often hear them referred to as “the big three”, as they represent the top three divisions of professional football. These are the NFC, AFC and the NFL.

What is the AFC?

The American Football Conference (AFC) is a professional American football conference that currently consists of sixteen teams. The conference was formed in 1968 by the merger of two rival leagues, the American Football League and the National Football League (NFL). The formation of this new league was prompted by the fact that several NFL teams were threatening to leave the country and join a rival AFL competition.

What are the similarities between the NFC and AFC?

AFC and NFC are both conferences of the NFL

Firstly, both the AFC and NFC are divisions of the NFL. They are both conferences of the same league, and this means that they have a lot in common with each other.

Both the AFC and NFC have 16 teams in their respective conferences

Both the AFC and the NFC have a total of sixteen teams in their respective conferences. The first one is the NFL, and this means that both these divisions have sixteen teams each in them. In fact, these two divisions are considered to be “the big three”, as they represent the top three divisions of professional football.

Both the AFC and NFC were formed following a rivalry between two rival leagues

Both the AFC and the NFC were formed following a rivalry between two rival leagues, which was known as “the NFL-AFL war”. This was caused by several teams from both leagues threatening to leave and form a new rival league. This rivalry was one of the reasons why the NFL was formed.

As we have seen, both the AFC and the NFC are professional American football divisions that consist of sixteen teams each. They are considered to be “the big three”, because they represent the top three divisions of professional football.

What are the differences between the NFC and AFC?

NFC has its headquarters in New York while AFC has its headquarters in Indianapolis.

The home offices of the NFC are located in New York while those of the AFC are located in Indianapolis. This means that the NFC has a preferable location to the AFC in terms of its headquarters, as it is located in one of the biggest cities across North America, whereas Indianapolis is a smaller city by comparison.

The playoff system for both the NFC and AFC is different from each other.

The playoff system for both the NFC and the AFC is quite different from each other. This is because the playoff system for both of these conferences is quite similar, but this does not apply to the AFC, as it has a much easier path to the playoffs.

The NFL has a similar playoff system for both its divisions, which means that all teams that qualify for postseason play will have at least one game in the divisional round. The two teams with the most wins at this point in time will be able to advance to the next round of playoffs, where they will play a single game. If one team has more wins than another team in this round, then they will be declared champions of their respective conference.

This is also true for the NFC, but there are some differences between the two conferences. In fact, the playoff system that is used by both the AFC and the NFC is very similar to each other. However, the AFC has a much easier path to the playoffs than its rival, as it has a slightly easier path to postseason play.

The AFC does not have a tie-breaking team.

The AFC does not have a tie-breaking team, and this means that whenever the two teams in the conference have the same number of wins at the end of the regular season, then they will be declared co-champions. On the other hand, this is not applicable for the NFC, as it has a tie-breaking team.

Which conference has won more Super Bowls?

Since the formation of the NFL in 1970, the AFC has won 20 Super Bowl wins, while the NFC won 24 Super Bowl wins.

AFC Teams

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC East

Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets

AFC South

Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans

AFC West

Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers

NFC Teams

NFC North

Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks

What is Wild Card on AFC and NFC?

Wild Card is a postseason tournament that involves two teams in each conference that are selected by the teams’ regular season records. These two teams will be placed in a playoff game to determine who will advance to the next round. In other words, these two teams are selected to advance without playing a full-fledged game.

What is Divisional on AFC and NFC?

Divisional system of play refers to the way each team plays during a single season. Each team plays in its own division and there are no cross-over games between them. These are referred to as “home” and “away” games for each team in the league, as well as a set number of inter-divisional games (called “cross-over” games). The NFL uses this system in its sixteen conference divisions, but there are more than one division per conference (with more than 16 teams).

How does it work?

A team’s division is decided by the geographical location of its home city. The top six teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs at the end of their respective seasons. The two remaining spots will be filled by wild card qualifiers which are chosen by comparing both teams’ records with those of all other remaining teams.

What is the NFL?

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams. The league was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The name was changed to National Football League in 1922 and it has been known by this name ever since. The NFL consists of four conferences: AFC, NFC, and the American Football Conference (AFC). These conferences are known as “Divisions” and are each made up of eight teams.

What is the significance of the AFC and NFC?

The National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC) are both professional American football conferences. These conferences are each made up of sixteen teams, who compete against each other during the regular season. The teams are then placed in a single division, based on their overall standings or rankings in the previous season. The winners of these divisions will then qualify for the playoffs and be crowned champions of their respective conferences.

(Visited 348 times, 1 visits today)
Did this article help you?
Thank you!
Thank you!
What was wrong?