NFL Expansion to 40 Teams

The fans have discussed a 40-team NFL since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002. However, with some cities being spurred by the teams that have called them home and the news of the XFL USFL merger is all but certain, this raises a good question. Will the NFL expand? The answer is not an if but a when. If you read my article about MLB expansion locations, you know I go in-depth about the cities that can/should have a team. I am using the same formula for this one, however, as there are many cities where the NFL is interested in expansion/relocation.

So first off, what I’ll call the scorned lovers grouping. San Diego, Oakland, and Saint Louis. All three have had their teams leave within the past decade, with varying results for each. Oakland would have to build a new home for a team like Saint Louis, but Saint Louis has a brand-new soccer stadium that seats 22,000. The Dome is out of the question as it only stands as a middle finger to the Rams for leaving. Oakland does not have that alternative. It’s the Coliseum or 5,000-seat Stadium. San Diego has a leg up on Oakland and Saint Louis as Snapdragon Stadium was just finished and seats 35,000. Downside, the stadium is covered in SDSU logos.

That’s three cities down now for what I’ll call the obvious three. Cities that have hosted NFL games without having a team officially based in the city. London, Mexico City, and Germany. No, I have no clue which German city, but one of the interests is there from both sides and seems like a likely landing spot. Mexico City had the same thing for five years of games, and the fans liked the games and were interested. London has the Jaguars to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jags played every home game while TIAA Bank Stadium gets renovated. So yes, those three are obvious ones.

Six cities down, two to go. These last two I’ll call the do goods. Cities that would do good in supporting an NFL franchise wouldn’t step on any toes of the CFL. San Antonio and Orlando. When the Saints were displaced in 2005, San Antonio had stepped up to host an NFL team. They played half their home games in Baton Rouge and the other half in San Antonio. Orlando has shown much interest in hosting the Jaguars while their stadium is rebuilt, and Orlando has two NFL-ready stadiums ready to go. And now that leaves us with the burning question of what the divisions would look like in this new NFL.

Well, here is my proposal

AFC West Kansas City, Denver, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego

AFC East Buffalo, New England, New York, Miami, London

AFC South Houston, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Mexico City, San Antonio

AFC North Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh

NFC West Arizona, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Oakland

NFC East Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Germany

NFC South Atlanta, Carolina, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Orlando

NFC North Chicago, Detriot, Green Bay, Minnesota, Saint Louis

I did this without disturbing major rivalries. The Colts had no true rivals in the AFC South, and it made more sense to reunite them with their old AFC Central foes and Baltimore. Saint Louis didn’t have a prominent spot because they were a geographical outlier beyond KC, but Chicago isn’t too far away, as is the rest of the NFC North. Oakland has San Fran to battle every year: San Diego, the Chargers. Orlando has Tampa and Atlanta. So there it is. The 40-team NFL, I think, is most likely. Do I like it? Nope, because I want to bring the Oilers back.