We’ve all heard of the NFL, but do you know how its divisions work? It is quite an interesting process and I can’t help but be fascinated by it.
First of all, the NFL is divided into two big conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). There are some big differences between the two: the AFC is mainly composed of teams from the east and south of the United States, while the NFC is made up of teams from the west and middle of the country. This difference in regionalization creates an amazing contrast between the conferences, with franchises coming from vastly different areas of the nation coming together to play.
Within each of these conferences, there are smaller divisions. Each division is set up to offer competitive balance between the teams that play in them. For example, the AFC East contains the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots, and the New York Jets. All four teams have a relatively even amount of talent and are closely matched in terms of professionalism.
The divisional set up plays a huge part in how the league operates. Each team must beat the other three teams in its own division at least twice, once at home and once away, to be guaranteed a winning record. This means that every result has the potential to be pivotal, and teams really have to work hard and play consistently well in order to make it out of their division.
Divisional play is also important when it comes to the playoffs. The NFL playoffs are set up so that the best team from each division is guaranteed a spot, regardless of whether or not they have the best overall record. This ensures that each team has a legitimate chance of making the playoffs, and there is little room for teams that have a hot start to hang around in the hunt for the Lombardi trophy.
Another great thing about the divisional structure is the rivalries that form between teams. In the AFC East, you can find some of the most iconic rivalries in sports in the Patriots/Jets rivalry and the Dolphins/Bills rivalry. These rivalries bring electricity to the games and really makes each matchup something special that can’t be found anywhere else.
To me, the NFL divisional structure is an incredible concept that makes the game different from any other. With its mix of local rivalries, evenly matched matchups, and guaranteed playoff spots for each division winner, the divisions system solidifies the NFL as one of the most groundbreaking organizations in professional sports today. What do you think?