In American football, the two conferences that comprise the National Football League are the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). These conferences represent a structural division of the league, initially stemming from the 1970 merger between the NFL and the American Football League (AFL). For instance, the Green Bay Packers compete within the NFC, while the Kansas City Chiefs belong to the AFC.
The division into conferences is crucial for structuring the regular season schedule, playoff seeding, and ultimately, determining the participants in the Super Bowl. Each conference champion earns the right to compete for the league championship. This system maintains competitive balance within the league and provides historical continuity tied to the pre-merger NFL and AFL.