Sometimes called AFL I or AFLG, the first American Football League (AFL) was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C. Pyle and starring Hall of Fame halfback Red Grange, the short-lived league with nine teams competed against the more established NFL both for players and for fans. While Pyle’s and Grange’s New York Yankees team became a relia...
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Sometimes called AFL I or AFLG, the first American Football League (AFL) was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C. Pyle and starring Hall of Fame halfback Red Grange, the short-lived league with nine teams competed against the more established NFL both for players and for fans. While Pyle’s and Grange’s New York Yankees team became a reliable draw, the lack of star power and the uncertain financial conditions of the other eight teams led to the league’s dissolution after one season.
The controversial ending of the National Football League’s 1925 season led to the founding of the first AFL by Red Grange’s agent, C. C. Pyle. In an era in which no professional football team had a prearranged schedule (each team was responsible for booking its own games, with virtually no limitations as to the number of games), the Pottsville Maroons were hailed as the NFL champions by several...
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