How did the Jets and the Colts end up in the same conference?

The Colts were in Baltimore in the NFL. When they moved to Indianapolis, they were moved to the AFL.

They affiliations are moved around to balance the league. For example, the Seattle Sehawks were moved to the NFC from the AFC a few years ago.

Thanks, but now you brought something else up that I need to clarify.
I thought that the NFC and the AFC were the two conferences in the NFL…
Where does the AFL fit in?

my son loves football – the Jets and Colts question is actually something he asked me. I need to know my stuff.

Several teams changed conferences as part of the merger agreement with the old AFL, since then realignments occur occasionally when new teams are added to the league, though divisional changes are more common. What really throws me is that the Milwaukee Brewers are now in the National League.

Before the leagues were united as the NFL, they were separate: the National Football league and the American Football League. Once they joined together, they became the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference.

Thanks again.
...and “divisions” are like East and West in each conference?

So When the Detroit Lions won a championship back in the 50’s, it wasn’t a Superbowl. Is that right?

Yes, on the divisions, which are roughly geographical.

That’s correct. The designation Super Bowl was not used until 1967.

The Detroit Lions won an NFL Championship game in ‘59 I believe. The only thing we’ve got to brag about happened over 50 years ago lol.

Oh well, at least the University of Michigan is still technically the best college football franchise in history, even if you couldn’t tell this year. :-P That’s the only football excitement we get.

@noyesa I don’t think Detroit has been in a playoff game since the early 90’s.

It is also nice to see a lot of Michigan and MSU names in the NFL.

I do hope UM can get thier act together.

Up until 1969, the Jets were in the American Football League and the Baltimore Colts were in the National Football League.

After the AFL champion Jets defeated the NFL champion Colts in the 1969 Superbowl, the AFL merged with the NFL.

In 1970, the NFL was divided into the American and National Football Conferences. At that time, the Jets and the Colts were assigned to the AFC.
They’ve been in the AFC ever since then, even though the Colts moved to Indianapolis in March, 1984 (IIRC).

However, per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Football_Conference#History , teams can change conferences.

As far as I know, no franchise that has moved to a different city has changed conferences.
However, they might change divisions (East, North, South, West) if they move.

[mod says:] Duplicate post removed.

The Lions last won he championship in 1957, on the exact day that my mother was born.

It’s all her fault.