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NFL Franchise Year-by-Year Genealogy

1920 The American Professional Football Association was formally organized to begin play in fall of 1920. Jim Thorpe of Canton is elected APFA president and membership fee is set at $100 per franchise. The original teams are: Canton Bulldogs Cleveland Tigers Dayton Triangles Akron Professionals Rochester (N.Y.) Jeffersons Rock Island Independents Muncie Flyers Decatur Staleys Chicago Cardinals Hammond Pros Later, the Buffalo All-Americans, Chicago Tigers, Columbus Panhandles and Detroit Heralds joined the league prior to the 1920 season. The Chicago Tigers fold between the 1920 and 1921 seasons.

1921 The APFA is reorganized with Joe Carr elected league president
The Decatur Staleys moved to Chicago but retain the name Staleys

Teams that join the APFA for the 1921 season:
Green Bay Packers Cincinnati Celts (play 1921 season only) Minneapolis Marines Evansville Crimson Giants Tonawanda Kardex (AKA Lumbermen - play 1921 season only) Washington Senators (play 1921 season only) New York Brickleys Giants (play 1921 season only) Louisville Brecks Teams that fold between 1921 and 1922 seasons: New York Brickleys Giants Washington Senators Tonawanda Kardex Cleveland Tigers Muncie Flyers Cincinnati Celts Detroit Heralds 1922 The APFA changes its name to the National Football League The Chicago Staleys change their name to the Chicago Bears

Teams that join the NFL for the 1922 season:
Milwaukee Badgers Marion Oorang Indians Racine Legion Toledo Maroons Teams that fold between the 1922 and 1923 seasons: Columbus Panhandles Evansville Crimson Giants 1923 Teams that enter the NFL for the 1923 season: Columbus Tigers Duluth Kelleys St. Louis All-Stars (play only the 1923 season) Cleveland Indians (play only the 1923 season) NFL teams that fold between the 1923 and 1924 seasons: Canton Bulldogs Cleveland Indians Louisville Brecks Marion Oorang Indians Racine Legion St. Louis All-Stars Toledo Maroons 1924 Buffalo All-Americans change their name to Buffalo Bisons Teams that join the NFL for the 1924 season:
Cleveland Bulldogs Frankford Yellow Jackets Kansas City Blues Kenosha Maroons (play 1924 season only) Teams that fold between the 1924 and 1925 seasons: Kenosha Maroons Minneapolis Marines Columbus Tigers 1925 The Kansas City Blues change their name to the Kansas City Cowboys The Canton Bulldogs re-enter the NFL after an inactive 1924 season
Racine Legion is inactive for 1925 season

Teams that join the NFL for the 1925 season:
New York Giants Providence Steam Roller Pottsville Maroons Detroit Panthers Teams that fold between the 1925 and 1926 seasons: Cleveland Bulldogs Rochester Jeffersons The Rock Island Independents leave the NFL for the rival AFL at end of the season 1926 The Buffalo Bisons change their name to the Buffalo Rangers

Teams that join the NFL for the 1926 season:
Hartford Blues Brooklyn Lions Los Angeles Buccaneers The Akron Pros change their name to the Akron Indians The Racine Tornadoes (formerly the Racine Legion) re-enter the NFL The Duluth Kelleys become the Duluth Eskimos The Louisville Colonels (formerly the Louisville Brecks) re-enter the NFL as a road team out of Chicago Teams that fold between the 1926 and 1927 seasons: Kansas City Cowboys Los Angeles Buccaneers Buffalo Rangers Detroit Panthers Hartford Blues Brooklyn Lions Milwaukee Badgers Akron Indians Racine Tornadoes Columbus Tigers Canton Bulldogs Hammond Pros Louisville Colonels 1927 Teams that join the NFL for the 1927 season: Cleveland Bulldogs (play only the 1927 season) New York Yankees Teams that fold between the 1927 and 1928 seasons: Buffalo Bison Cleveland Bulldogs Duluth Eskimos 1928 The Detroit Wolverines are granted an NFL franchise but play only the 1928 season (the Wolverines have the best lifetime winning percentage (.778) of any franchise in NFL history) The New York Yankees fold at end of the season

1929 Teams that join the NFL for the 1929 season:
Buffalo Bisons (play 1929 season only) Minneapolis Red Jackets Staten Island Stapletons Orange Tornadoes Boston Bulldogs (play only 1929 season -- the Bulldogs were in reality the Pottsville Maroons relocated, inactive for the 1928 season) Teams that fold between the 1929 and 1930 seasons: Dayton Triangles Buffalo Bisons Boston Bulldogs 1930 Teams that join the NFL for the 1930 season: Portsmouth Spartans Brooklyn Dodgers The Orange Tornadoes change their name to the Newark Tornadoes Teams that fold between the 1930 and 1931 seasons: Minneapolis Red Jackets Newark Tornadoes