Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Earlier I noted how three consecutive games in December of 1958 provided the spark for Pro Football. The NFL expanded to 13 teams, but still 12 games, in 1960 and 14 teams with 14 games in 1961. In 1960 was the start of the American Football League with eight teams-each team played every other team in the league twice-14 games. The AFL had a contract with ABC for the regional television of its games; these games even went into cities with NFL franchises. The leaders of the two divisions met in the AFL Championship Game. Here is the way it lined up and where the teams played.

AFL Eastern Division

1. Boston Patriots-Fenway Park or Boston College Stadium
2. Buffalo Bills-War Memorial Stadium
3. Houston Oilers-Jeppensen Stadium
4. New York Titans-Polo Grounds

--Jeppensen Stadium was a high school field
--1964 New York moved to Shea Stadium and changed its name to the Jets
--1971 Boston moved to Foxboro and changed its title name to New England
--1997 the Houston Oilers became the Tennessee Titans in 1997

AFL Western Division

1. Dallas Texans-Cotton Bowl
2. Denver Broncos-Bear Stadium
3. Los Angeles Chargers-Memorial Coliseum
4. Oakland Raiders-Candlestick Park and Kezar Stadium, SF

--The Dallas Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963. This was after winning the AFL Championship game in 1962.
--Bear Stadium in Denver was the home of the Bears, a farm club of the New York Yankees
--After 1960, the Chargers moved to San Diego at Balboa stadium
--The Raiders moved to Frank Youell Field in Oakland in 1962