What does AFC stand for in football? (AFC NFL meaning explained)

The NFL playoffs are underway and there is a lot to love as a die-hard football fan. However, for casual fans who don’t keep up with the game during the regular season, the postseason can be a lot to take in and process.

During the postseason, it’s not uncommon for an interest in the game to rise as excitement builds around the elimination-style bracket and the year’s biggest sporting event: The Super Bowl. As casual viewers join the mix and begin following the playoffs, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the terminology connected to the game and it’s understandable that many questions tend to come about as we near the Super Bowl.

Among those that casual fans tend to understandably question is what exactly AFC means in reference to the NFL. It’s a legitimate question as the acronym is tossed around a lot during the postseason and there is even an AFC Championship Game that determines who makes it to the Super Bowl. So what exactly does the term mean?

What does AFC mean in the NFL?

In the NFL, AFC stands for American Football Conference. The AFC is one of the two conferences in the NFL, the other being the National Football Conference (NFC). It is made up of 16 teams, divided into four divisions: the East, the North, the South, and the West. Each division has four teams. The teams are split into conferences based on their geographical location, with the AFC consisting of teams from the eastern and southern regions of the United States.

The AFC is known for its strong teams, with many of the league’s most successful and popular franchises, such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Baltimore Ravens. The conference has produced a number of Super Bowl champions over the years, including the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have both won the Super Bowl multiple times.

The AFC and NFC compete against each other throughout the regular season, with the winner of each conference going on to compete in the Super Bowl, the most important game of the year. The two conferences also compete in the annual Pro Bowl, where the best players from each conference are selected to play in an All-Star game. The AFC is considered a highly competitive conference, and it is always exciting to watch the teams battle it out on the field.