The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was an American football league which challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949.
From 1946 to 1948, the AAFC determined its champion in a title game between the winners of its two divisions. In 1948, a special playoff game was needed to break a first-place tie in one of the divisions.
In 1949, the league contracted to a single division, so it determined its champion by a four-team single-elimination tournament.
The Cleveland Browns won all four AAFC titles, however their domination and the lack of balance that it demonstrated ultimately hurt the league by diminishing attendance.[1][2][3][4]
AAFC playoff records, as with AAFC records in general, are recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but are not included in the NFL's record book.[5]
 AAFC Official Logo | |
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1944 |
| First season | 1946 |
| Ceased | 1949 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | United States |
| Last champion(s) | Cleveland Browns |
- ^ The NFL's Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football, 1977: The AAFC, pgs. 245-251
- ^ America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation, by Michael MacCambridge, 2005, pg. 51
- ^ The Coffin Corner, Volume 2, 1980 Archived January 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, published by the Professional Football Researchers Association: All-America Football Conference, by Stan Grosshandler
- ^ Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League, 1999, The History of the National Football League, pg. 23
- ^ The NFL's Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football, 1977: Introduction, pgs. 7-8