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American Football Conference

The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the top professional American football league in the United States.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the top professional American football league in the United States. It was created in the 1970 AFL–NFL merger and currently consists of 16 teams arranged into four divisions. The AFC’s counterpart is the National Football Conference (NFC).

History

The AFC was created in 1970 when the NFL merged with the American Football League (AFL). Three existing NFL teams joined the ten former AFL franchises to form the conference, which became one of the NFL’s two permanent conferences.

Structure

The AFC is divided into four divisions: East, North, South, and West. Each division contains four teams, giving the conference a total of 16 teams.

Competition

Each season, AFC teams compete for playoff berths and the AFC Championship. The AFC champion receives the Lamar Hunt Trophy and advances to the Super Bowl to face the NFC champion.

Current context

Recent standings and team alignments show the AFC continuing as one half of the NFL’s conference structure, with division winners and wild-card teams qualifying for the playoffs.

Key facts

  • The AFC is one of the NFL’s two conferences.
  • It was formed as part of the 1970 merger between the NFL and the AFL.
  • The conference has 16 teams divided into four divisions.
  • AFC teams compete for the AFC Championship and the Lamar Hunt Trophy.
  • The AFC champion plays the NFC champion in the Super Bowl.
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Canadian context

Canadian readers may encounter the AFC mainly through NFL coverage, especially the Super Bowl and Canadian broadcasting of American football.

Frequently asked questions

What does AFC stand for in football?
AFC stands for the American Football Conference.
How many teams are in the AFC?
The AFC has 16 teams.
When was the AFC formed?
It was formed in 1970 as part of the AFL–NFL merger.
What is the AFC Championship?
It is the playoff game that determines the AFC champion, who then advances to the Super Bowl.
What is the AFC’s counterpart?
The AFC’s counterpart is the National Football Conference (NFC).

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Football_Conference
    Supports: Definition of the AFC, its relationship to the NFL, team count, divisions, and origin in the 1970 merger.
  2. Pro Football Reference — https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
    Supports: Current AFC standings and division structure context.
  3. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries — https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/the-american-football-conference
    Supports: AFC as one of the two NFL conferences and its 16-team structure.
  4. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Football-League
    Supports: AFC division names and NFL conference structure.
  5. Wikipedia — https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football
    Supports: Super Bowl context and AFC/NFC championship matchup.
  6. Wikipedia — https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Football_ALeague
    Supports: AFL history and merger into the NFL conference structure.