Membership in the National Football League (NFL) is certified by a franchise. A franchise is awarded by the league to each member club and serves as the league's authorization to operate as a professional football club in their city. Franchises award member clubs the exclusive right to hold professional football games between league members within a 75-mile radius of their city as well as the exclusive rights to market games in their area.NFL Bylaws, p. 6, 12–15. There are currently 32 clubs in the league, and new members can only be approved with the support of 3/4s of current members.NFL Bylaws, p. 3. In the case of egregious misbehavior, a club's franchise can be revoked or suspended by the league's commissioner.NFL Bylaws, p. 28–35.
The NFL has had a total of 49 franchises become defunct over its history; this includes ten of the league's twelve founding members, with only the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals surviving to the present day. By 1926, the league had expanded to 22 franchises, but a league meeting in April 1927 led to the decision to revoke the franchises of the clubs in the weakest financial situations; 10 franchises were ultimately revoked.
Five defunct NFL franchises (the Akron Pros/Indians, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Bulldogs/Indians, Frankford Yellow Jackets, and the Providence Steamroller) had previously won NFL championships. The most recent franchise to become defunct was the Dallas Texans, which folded in 1952 after one season in the league.
Defunct franchises + Key^Denotes the club had won an NFL championship before folding
+List of defunct NFL franchisesClubCityJoined NFLFoldedRef(s)Akron Pros/Indians^Akron, Ohio19201926Baltimore ColtsBaltimore, Maryland19501950Boston YanksBoston, Massachusetts19431948Brooklyn Dodgers/TigersBrooklyn, New York19301944Brooklyn LionsBrooklyn, New York19261926Buffalo All-Americans/Bisons/RangersBuffalo, New York19201929Canton Bulldogs^Canton, Ohio19201926Chicago TigersChicago, Illinois19201920Cincinnati CeltsCincinnati, Ohio19211921Cincinnati RedsCincinnati, Ohio19331934Cleveland Tigers/IndiansCleveland, Ohio19201921Cleveland Indians/Bulldogs^Cleveland, Ohio19231927Cleveland IndiansCleveland, Ohio19311931Columbus Panhandles/TigersColumbus, Ohio19201926Dallas TexansDallas, Texas19521952Dayton TrianglesDayton, Ohio19201929Detroit HeraldsDetroit, Michigan19201920Detroit PanthersDetroit, Michigan19251926Detroit TigersDetroit, Michigan19211921Detroit WolverinesDetroit, Michigan19281928Duluth Kelleys/EskimosDuluth, Minnesota19231927Evansville Crimson GiantsEvansville, Indiana19211922Frankford Yellow Jackets^Frankford, Philadelphia19241931Hammond ProsHammond, Indiana19201926Hartford BluesHartford, Connecticut19261926Kansas City Blues/CowboysKansas City, Missouri19241926Kenosha MaroonsKenosha, Wisconsin19241924Los Angeles BuccaneersLos Angeles, California19261926Louisville Brecks/ColonelsLouisville, Kentucky19211926Milwaukee BadgersMilwaukee, Wisconsin19221926Minneapolis Marines/Red JacketsMinneapolis, Minnesota19211930Muncie FlyersMuncie, Indiana19201921New York Bulldogs/YanksNew York, New York19491951New York YankeesNew York, New York19271928New York GiantsNew York, New York19211921Orange/Newark TornadoesOrange, New Jersey (1929)Newark, New Jersey (1930)19291930Oorang IndiansLaRue, Ohio19221923Pottsville Maroons/Boston BulldogsPottsville, Pennsylvania (1925–1928)Boston, Massachusetts (1929)19251929Providence Steamrollers^Providence, Rhode Island19251931Racine Legion/TornadoesRacine, Wisconsin19221926Rochester JeffersonsRochester, New York19201925Rock Island IndependentsRock Island, Illinois19201925St. Louis All-StarsSt. Louis, Missouri19231923St. Louis GunnersSt. Louis, Missouri19341934Staten Island Stapletons/StapesStaten Island, New York19291932Toledo MaroonsToledo, Ohio19221923Tonawanda KardexTonawanda, New York19211921Washington SenatorsWashington, D.C.19211921
See also NFL franchise moves and mergers Steagles Card-Pitt List of defunct and relocated Major League Baseball teams List of defunct NBA teams List of defunct and relocated National Hockey League teams Major League Soccer defunct clubs
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References General
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External links National Football League