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 (which existed between 1944 and 1950 but only played between 1946 and 1949).

The ../afl and NFL operated as separate leagues until 1970, with separate regular season and playoff schedules except for the championship game. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle also became chief executive of the ../afl from July 26, 1966, through the completion of the merger. During this time the ../afl expanded, adding the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. After losses by the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in the first two ../afl-NFL World Championship Games to the Green Bay Packers (1966-1967), the New York Jets and Chiefs won Super Bowls III and IV (1968-1969) respectively, cementing the league's claim to being an equal to the NFL.

1969 AFL Season
1969 CHAMPIONS HALL OF FAME

KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS (3)
KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS (3)

Each team played a 14-week 14-game schedule, between September and December. would play a home-and-away game against the other 7 teams in the league for a total of 14 games, and the best team in the Eastern Division would play against the best in the Western Division in a championship game. If there was a tie in the standings at the top of either division, a one-game playoff would be held to determine the division winner.

1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
EAST DIVISION
WEST DIVISION