The American Football League In The 1920's

280 Words2 Pages
In 1920, the National Football League (NFL) was founded and found success throughout the years. As the NFL grew more popular, wealthy entrepreneurs sought to buy their own teams in new cities, expanding the league. NFL commissioner Bert Bell refused to expand the league as he was being accused of monopolizing the football industry. As a result, Lamar Hunt decided to create his own league, thus the American Football League (AFL) was founded in 1960, challenging the authority of the NFL. In its early years, the AFL struggled to move beyond the shadow of the superior NFL, especially in cities with teams in both leagues. The AFL was able to obtain a few notable draft picks from the NFL, including Heisman trophy winner Billy Cannon, giving them