List of defunct National Football League franchises
Membership in the National Football League (NFL) is certified by a franchise. A franchise is awarded by the league to each member club, and serves as the league's authorization to operate as a professional football club in their city. Franchises award member clubs the exclusive right to hold professional football games between league members within a 75-mile radius of their city, as well as the exclusive rights to market games in their area.[1]
There are currently 32 clubs in the league, with any new members only being approved with the support of three-quarters of current members.[2] In the event of egregious misconduct, the League Commissioner has the power to suspend or revoke a club's franchise.[3]
The NFL has had 49 franchises become defunct over its history, including ten of the league's twelve charter franchises: only the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals survive to the present day.[4] [5]
While the league had expanded to 22 franchises by 1926, at a league meeting in April 1927, the decision was made to revoke the franchises of 10 clubs in weak financial situations.[6]
Five of these defunct NFL franchises (the Akron Pros/Indians, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Bulldogs/Indians, Frankford Yellow Jackets, and Providence Steam Rollers) won NFL championships before they folded.
As of 2021, the most recent franchise to become defunct was the Dallas Texans in 1952, which folded after playing one season.[7]
Defunct franchises[]
^ | Denotes the club had won an NFL championship before folding[8] |
---|
Club | City | Began play | Folded | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Akron Pros/Indians^ | Akron, Ohio | 1920[A] | 1926 | [7][8] |
Baltimore Colts | Baltimore, Maryland | 1950[B] | 1950 | [7] |
Boston Yanks | Boston, Massachusetts | 1943 | 1948 | [7] |
Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers | Brooklyn, New York | 1930 | 1944 | [7] |
Brooklyn Lions | Brooklyn, New York | 1926 | 1926 | [7] |
Buffalo All-Americans/Bisons/Rangers | Buffalo, New York | 1920[A] | 1929[C] | [7] |
Canton Bulldogs^ | Canton, Ohio | 1920[A] | 1926[D] | [7][8] |
Chicago Tigers | Chicago, Illinois | 1920 | 1920 | [7] |
Cincinnati Celts | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1921 | 1921 | [7] |
Cincinnati Reds | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1933 | 1934 | [7] |
Cleveland Tigers/Indians | Cleveland, Ohio | 1920[A] | 1921 | [7] |
Cleveland Indians/Bulldogs^ | Cleveland, Ohio | 1923 | 1927[E] | [7][8] |
Cleveland Indians | Cleveland, Ohio | 1931 | 1931 | [7] |
Columbus Panhandles/Tigers | Columbus, Ohio | 1920[A] | 1926 | [7] |
Dallas Texans | Dallas, Texas | 1952 | 1952 | [7] |
Dayton Triangles | Dayton, Ohio | 1920[A] | 1929 | [7] |
Detroit Heralds | Detroit, Michigan | 1920[A] | 1920 | [7] |
Detroit Panthers | Detroit, Michigan | 1925 | 1926 | [7] |
Detroit Tigers | Detroit, Michigan | 1921 | 1921 | [7] |
Detroit Wolverines | Detroit, Michigan | 1928 | 1928 | [7] |
Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos | Duluth, Minnesota | 1923 | 1927 | [7] |
Evansville Crimson-Giants | Evansville, Indiana | 1921 | 1922 | [7] |
Frankford Yellow Jackets^ | Frankford, Philadelphia | 1924 | 1931 | [7][8] |
Hammond Pros | Hammond, Indiana | 1920[A] | 1926 | [7] |
Hartford Blues | Hartford, Connecticut | 1926 | 1926 | [7] |
Kansas City Blues/Cowboys | Kansas City, Missouri | 1924 | 1926 | [7] |
Kenosha Maroons | Kenosha, Wisconsin | 1924 | 1924 | [7] |
Los Angeles Buccaneers | Los Angeles, California | 1926 | 1926 | [7] |
Louisville Brecks/Colonels | Louisville, Kentucky | 1921 | 1926[F] | [7] |
Milwaukee Badgers | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 1922 | 1926 | [7] |
Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 1921 | 1930[G] | [7] |
Muncie Flyers | Muncie, Indiana | 1920[A] | 1921 | [7] |
New York Bulldogs/Yanks | New York, New York | 1949 | 1951 | [7] |
New York Yankees | New York, New York | 1927 | 1928 | [7] |
New York Giants | New York, New York | 1921 | 1921 | [7] |
Orange/Newark Tornadoes | Orange, New Jersey (1929) Newark, New Jersey (1930) |
1929 | 1930 | [7] |
Oorang Indians | LaRue, Ohio | 1922 | 1923 | [7] |
Pottsville Maroons/Boston Bulldogs | Pottsville, Pennsylvania (1925-1928) Boston, Massachusetts (1929) |
1925 | 1929 | [7] |
Providence Steam Roller^ | Providence, Rhode Island | 1925 | 1931 | [7][8] |
Racine Legion/Tornadoes | Racine, Wisconsin | 1922 | 1926 | [7] |
Rochester Jeffersons | Rochester, New York | 1920[A] | 1925 | [7] |
Rock Island Independents | Rock Island, Illinois | 1920[A] | 1925 | [7] |
St. Louis All-Stars | St. Louis Missouri | 1923 | 1923 | [7] |
St. Louis Gunners | St. Louis Missouri | 1934 | 1934 | [7] |
Staten Island Stapletons/Stapes | Staten Island, New York | 1929 | 1932 | [7] |
Toledo Maroons | Toledo, Ohio | 1922 | 1923 | [7] |
Tonawanda Kardex | Tonawanda, New York | 1921 | 1921 | [7] |
Washington Senators | Washington, D.C. | 1921 | 1921 | [7] |
See also[]
- National Football League franchise moves and mergers
- Steagles
- Card-Pitt
- List of defunct and relocated Major League Baseball teams
- List of defunct National Basketball Association teams
- List of defunct and relocated National Hockey League teams
- Major League Soccer defunct clubs
Notes[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Founding member of the league.[9]
- ^ The Baltimore Colts were originally members of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), but the franchise was accepted into the NFL when the AAFC folded in 1949.[10]
- ^ The Buffalo Bisons franchise was inactive for the 1928 season.[7]
- ^ The Canton Bulldogs franchise was inactive for the 1924 season.[7]
- ^ The Cleveland Bulldogs franchise was inactive for the 1926 season.[7]
- ^ The Louisville Brecks franchise was inactive for the 1924 and 1925 seasons.[7]
- ^ The Minneapolis Marines franchise was inactive from 1925 to 1928.[7]
References[]
General[]
- "Constitution and Bylaws of the National Football League" (PDF). NFL.com. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
Specific[]
- ^ NFL Bylaws, p. 6, 12-15.
- ^ NFL Bylaws, p. 3.
- ^ NFL Bylaws, p. 28-35.
- ^ "National Football League (NFL)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
- ^ "Pro Football teams that came and went". ESPN.com. August 14, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ "NFL History by Decade: 1921-1930". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb "National Football League Franchise Histories". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "NFL Champions". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 7, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ "NFL History by Decade: 1911-1920". NFL.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
- ^ Grosshandler, Stan (1980). "All-America Football Conference" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association. 2 (7): 3, 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 19, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
External links[]
- Defunct National Football League teams
- Lists of defunct sports teams in the United States
- National Football League lists
- Lists of sports teams in the United States