AFL 1960-1969
The American Football League launched in 1960 with eight teams, competing directly with the NFL. It signed star players, including Joe Namath, and won Super Bowl III in 1969. The AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, with all AFL teams joining the new combined league.
The AFL's success forced the NFL to merge, creating the modern NFL with 26 teams in 1970.
The AFL is the only rival league to successfully force a merger with the NFL, setting the template for how a challenger can succeed.
The AFL shows the path to success for a rival league: build a strong product, sign star players, and force the NFL to deal. The UFL is far from that, but the AFL proves it's possible.
