The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name, the 1926, 1936 and 1940 leagues, and the later All-America Football Conference.
The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional american football minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It owed its name, at least in part, to the Continental League, a proposed third Major League Baseball organization that influenced MLB significantly, although they never played a game.
The United Football League was a professional american football minor league that operated between 1961 and 1964. It had eight teams, primarily based in the Midwestern United States.
The Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) was a professional american football minor league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with NFL and AFL teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.
Kenneth Athol Wilson was a minor league hockey general manager and owner for forty years. He was born in Craik, Saskatchewan. His career as a manager spanned sixteen years in the International Hockey League, five years in the Continental Hockey League and single seasons each in the National Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Eastern Hockey League. Wilson was known for identifying young talent; his players won league-wide Rookie of the Year awards seven times.
The Alabama Hawks were a professional American football team based in Huntsville, Alabama. They were members of various minor league football circuits in the 1960s: the Southern Football League (1963–64); the North American Football League (1965–66), the Professional Football League of America (1967), and finally the Continental Football League during the league's last two years (1968–1969). While in the CoFL, the Hawks played in the Eastern Division of the Atlantic Conference. During the 1968 season, the team was also known as the Huntsville Hawks.
The Huntsville Rockets were a professional American football team based in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1962 to 1966. They played their home games at Goldsmith–Schiffman Field.
The 1969 COFL season was the fifth and final season of the Continental Football League (COFL). Following the season, nine of the league's remaining teams split from the league, with five forming the Trans-American Football League and four joining the Atlantic Coast Football League.
The 1965 COFL season was the first season of the Continental Football League (COFL). The COFL entered its inaugural season with franchises in Philadelphia, Springfield, Massachusetts, Newark, New Jersey, Toronto, Wheeling, West Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia, Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The Las Vegas Cowboys were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their roots can be traced to the independent Quad City Raiders, who joined the new Professional Football League of America as the Rock Island Raiders in 1965. The Raiders remained in the PFLA until its merger with the Continental Football League in 1968. After losing their first two regular-season contests in 1968, the Raiders were set to play the Indianapolis Capitols in Indiana. Instead, Indianapolis businessman Thomas Redmond swiftly purchased the club and announced the team would be known as the Las Vegas Cowboys
The Texas Football League (TFL) was a low-level American football minor league that operated in primarily in the United States from 1966 through 1968, and again between 1970 and 1971 as a new incarnation called the Trans-American Football League (TAFL).
The Omaha Mustangs were a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska. They began as an independent, semi-pro team in the early 1960s before joining the Professional Football League of America, a newly formed league based on remnants of the United Football League, in 1965. The Mustangs won the PFLA championship in their second season by defeating the Des Moines Warriors in a playoff game in front of 4,530 spectators. The Mustangs were affiliated with the Kansas City Chiefs for the 1967 season.
The 1947 AAFC season was the second season of the All-America Football Conference. The league included eight teams, broken up into Eastern and Western divisions, which played a 14-game official schedule, culminating in a league Championship Game.
The Midwest Football League (MFL) was a low-level professional American football minor league that played games from 1962 to 1978. The league was based mainly in Michigan, until the collapse of the Continental Football League in 1969, when it became more of a regional league.
The Quad City Raiders were a professional American football team based in the Quad Cities region, which includes Rock Island, Illinois and neighboring Davenport, Iowa. In 1965, the Raiders joined the Professional Football League of America (PFLA) as the Rock Island Raiders became charter members. The Quad City Raiders remained in the PFLA until its merger with the Continental Football League in 1968, with the franchise evolving to become the Las Vegas Cowboys.
The Des Moines Warriors were a professional American football team based the Des Moines, Iowa from 1965 to 1967. In 1965, the Warriors became charter members of the Professional Football League of America (PFLA) and played exclusively in the league.
The Joliet Chargers was the final nickname of the professional American football franchise based in Joliet, Illinois from 1964 to 1967. The Joliet Explorers played the 1964 season as members of the United Football League. In 1965, Joliet became charter members of the Professional Football League of America (PFLA) and played the next three seasons in the league. The 1967 Joliet Chargers were an affiliate of the San Diego Chargers.
