- NFC North
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NFC North Conference National Football Conference League National Football League Sport American Football Founded 1954 No. of teams 4 Most recent champion(s) Chicago Bears (10th title) Most titles Minnesota Vikings (18 titles) The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. It currently has four members: the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings.[1]
The division was created in 1967 as the Central Division of the NFL's Western Conference and existed for three seasons before the AFL–NFL merger. After the merger, it was renamed the NFC Central and retained that name until the NFL split into eight divisions in 2002. The four teams have been together in the same division or conference since the Vikings joined the league in 1961. The Bears, Lions and Packers have been in the same division or conference since the NFL began a conference format in 1933.
Based on the ages of its teams, the NFC North is the oldest division in the NFL, at a combined 312 years old. The Bears are 92 years old (founded in 1919 in Decatur, Illinois; moved to Chicago in 1921), the Packers are also 92 years old (founded in 1919, but turned professional in 1921), the Lions are 82 years old (founded 1929 in Portsmouth, Ohio; moved to Detroit in 1934), and the Vikings are 50 years old (founded 1961). The division has a total of 11 Super Bowl appearances. The Packers have the most appearances in the Super bowl with 5, the most recent happening in 2011. The Bears and the Packers have the only Super Bowl wins of this division, a total of 5 (4 for the Packers and 1 for the Bears). Of the top 5 NFL teams with the highest winning percentage throughout its franchise history, three of them are in the NFC North (the Bears, the Packers and the Vikings). The Lions however, have one of the lowest winning percentages in the NFL, including the only winless 16-game season in NFL history.[2]
This division earned the moniker "Black and Blue Division" due to its intense rivalries and physical style of play, and this nickname is still used regularly today. It is also known as the "Frostbite Division" as all teams played home games in late season winter cold until the mid 1970s. The division is also humorously called the "Frozen North", although two of its teams, Detroit and Minnesota, have played their home games indoors since 1975 and 1982 respectively. ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman often refers to this division as the "NFC Norris" because of its geographical similarity to the National Hockey League's old Norris Division. The NFC North's geography has been compared to that of a college conference since all four of its home cities lie within the territorial boundaries of the NCAA's Big Ten Conference.[3]
Contents
Division lineups
1967–76 (as WC/NFC Central)
The Western Conference respectively divided into the Coastal and Central divisions. The Central Division consists of Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, and Minnesota. Starting the 1970 season, this division became National Football Conference's Central division (or NFC Central for short), due to the AFL–NFL merger.
1977–2001 (as NFC Central)
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay moved in from AFC West.
2002–present
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
Tampa Bay moved to NFC South. NFC Central renamed NFC North.
Division champions
+ A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games, so the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored, Green Bay had the best record of the division teams.
* The 2010 Chicago Bears lost the NFC Conference Championship game against division rival Green Bay, who went on to win Super Bowl XLV.
Wild Card qualifiers
Season Team Record Playoff Results NFC Central 1970 Detroit Lions 10-4-0 Lost Divisional Playoffs 1971 None — — 1972 None — — 1973 None — — 1974 None — — 1975 None — — 1976 None — — 1977 Chicago Bears 9-5-0 Lost Divisional Playoffs 1978 None — — 1979 Chicago Bears 10-6-0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs 1980 None — — 1981 None — — 1982+ Minnesota Vikings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Detroit Lions5-4-0
5-4-0
4-5-0Lost NFC Second Round
Lost NFC First Round
Lost NFC First Round1983 None — — 1984 None — — 1985 None — — 1986 None — — 1987 Minnesota Vikings 8-7-0 Lost NFC Championship Game 1988 Minnesota Vikings 11-5-0 Lost Divisional Playoffs 1989 None — — 1990 None — — 1991 Chicago Bears 11-5-0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs 1992 None — — 1993 Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay Packers9-7-0
9-7-0Lost Wild Card Playoffs
Lost Divisional Playoffs1994 Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers9-7-0
9-7-0
9-7-0Lost Wild Card Playoffs
Lost Divisional Playoffs
Lost Divisional Playoffs1995 Detroit Lions 10-6-0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs 1996 Minnesota Vikings 9-7-0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs 1997 Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers9-7-0
9-7-0
10-6-0Lost Wild Card Playoffs
Lost Divisional Playoffs
Lost Divisional Playoffs1998 Green Bay Packers 11-5-0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs 1999 Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings8-8-0
10-6-0Lost Wild Card Playoffs
Lost Divisional Playoffs2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-6-0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Green Bay Packers9-7-0
12-4-0Lost Wild Card Playoffs
Lost Divisional PlayoffsNFC North 2002 None — — 2003 None — — 2004 Minnesota Vikings 8-8-0 Lost Divisional Playoffs 2005 None — — 2006 None — — 2007 None — — 2008 None — — 2009 Green Bay Packers 11-5-0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs 2010 Green Bay Packers 10-6-0 Won Super Bowl XLV + A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games, so the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year.
See Also
- Bears-Packers rivalry
- Bears-Vikings rivalry
- Packers-Vikings rivalry
- Lions-Vikings rivalry
Total playoff berths
Team Division Championships Playoff Berths Super Bowl Wins Super Bowl Losses NFL Championships Minnesota Vikings 18 26 0 4 1 Chicago Bears 10 26 1 1 9 Green Bay Packers 10 26 4 1 13 Detroit Lions 3 14 0 0 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers1 3 7 0 0 0 1 Realigned into the NFC South during the 2002 NFL season. Records only count the years in which the team was in the NFC Central.
Schedule assignments
Year Opponents Intraconf. Interconf. 2002 AFC East NFC South 2003 AFC West NFC West 2004 AFC South NFC East 2005 AFC North NFC South 2006 AFC East NFC West 2007 AFC West NFC East 2008 AFC South NFC South 2009 AFC North NFC West 2010 AFC East NFC East 2011 AFC West NFC South 2012 AFC South NFC West 2013 AFC North NFC East Chicago Bears Formerly the Decatur Staleys and the Chicago Staleys • Founded in 1919 • Based in Chicago, Illinois The Franchise Records Seasons • Records and statistics • All-time record versus NFL • Bears results on Primetime Football (Sunday Night • Monday Night • Thursday Night) • Holiday Football (Thanksgiving • Christmas) • Team awards and honors • Individual league award winners • Players (A-D - E-K - L-R - S-Z) • Head Coaches • Pro Football Hall of Famers • First-round Draft Picks • Starting Quarterbacks • Pro Bowlers • All-ProStadiums Lore Fog Bowl • 1932 Playoff Game • First NFL Championship Game • "The Sneakers Game" • Monsters of the Midway • 46 Defense • 15-1 • Super Bowl XX • Thanksgiving Classic • Bears 73, Redskins 0 • Instant Replay Game • Staley Swindle • Cardiac Kids • George S. Halas Trophy • Christmas games • International Series • American Bowl • Bills Toronto Series • Brian Piccolo Award • 75th Anniversary (League • Team • NFL All-Time Team) • The 700 ClubCulture Brian's Song (1971) / (2001) • "Bear Down, Chicago Bears" • "The Super Bowl Shuffle" • Da Super Fans • Chuck Swirsky • Staley Da Bear • Logos and Uniforms • Halas Hall • A.E. Staley • Jack Brickhouse • Papa Bear • Roosevelt/Wabash • 85386 PaytonRivalries Green Bay Packers • Minnesota VikingsRetired Numbers Key Personnel Chairman: George McCaskey • President/CEO: Ted Phillips • General Manager: Jerry Angelo • Head Coach: Lovie SmithNFL Championships (9) Super Bowl Appearances (2) Other honors NFL Championship Appearances (10) – 1933 • 1934 • 1937 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1946 • 1956 • 1963
NFC Championship Game Appearances (5) – 1984 • 1985 • 1988 • 2006 • 2010
Division Titles | NFL Western (8) – 1933 • 1934 • 1937 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1946 – NFC Central (7) – 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1990 • 2001 – NFC North (3) – 2005 • 2006 • 2010Current League Affiliations League: National Football League • Conference: National Football Conference • Division: North DivisionFormer League Affiliations League: Independent (1919) • Conference: National Conference (1950–1952); Western Conference (1953–1969) • Division: NFL Western Division (1933–1949); Central Division (1967–1969); NFC Central Division (1970–2001)Local Broadcast Affiliates Seasons (92) 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2010 • 2011Detroit Lions Formerly the Portsmouth Spartans • Founded in 1929 • Based in Detroit, Michigan The Franchise Stadiums Universal Stadium • University of Detroit Stadium • Tiger Stadium • Pontiac Silverdome • Ford Field • Allen Park (practice facilities and team headquarters)Culture Rivalries Minnesota VikingsLore Head Coaches Notable people League Championships (4) Current League Affiliations League: National Football League • Conference: National Football Conference • Division: North DivisionBroadcasters Radio: Detroit Lions Radio Network • Dan Miller • Jim Brandstatter • Tony Ortiz • WXYT-FM • WXYT
TV: Detroit Lions Television Network • Matt Shepard • Rob Rubick • Tom Leyden • WXYZ-TV
History: List of Detroit Lions broadcastersGreen Bay Packers Founded in 1919 • Based in Green Bay, Wisconsin The Franchise Records Seasons • Coaches • Players (A-D - E-K - L-R - S-Z) • Starting Quarterbacks • Pro Football Hall of Famers • Retired numbers • First-round Draft Picks • Records • Pro BowlersStadiums Culture Cheesehead • Lambeau Leap • Hall of Fame • FAN Hall of Fame • "Bang the Drum All Day" • Cheerleaders • Fight Song • Lumberjack Band • Rockwood Lodge • Pigskin Champions • Vernon Biever • Hungry Five • George Whitney Calhoun • The Dope Sheet • LombardiLore The Dolly Gray Impostor • The Ice Bowl • The Snow Bowl • Instant Replay Game • The Mud Bowl • 4th and 26Head Coaches Division Championships (18) League Championships (13) Super Bowl Appearances (5) Retired Numbers Seasons 1919 • 1920 • 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1924 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 1928 • 1929 • 1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011Current League Affiliations League: National Football League • Conference: National Football Conference • Division: North DivisionRivalries Chicago Bears • Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings Founded in 1961 • Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota Franchise Franchise • History • Expansion Draft • Players • Quarterbacks • Head coaches • Seasons • Statistics • DraftStadiums Metropolitan Stadium • Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Temporary stadiums due to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome roof collapse in 2010: Ford Field (December 13) • TCF Bank Stadium (December 20)
Proposed: New Vikings Stadium
Temporary stadium due to a conflict with a Minnesota Twins playoff game at Metropolitan Stadium in 1969: Memorial Stadium (October 5)Culture Rivalries Chicago Bears • Detroit Lions • Green Bay PackersLore The Wrong Way Run • Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy • 2010 Metrodome roof collapseHead coaches Division championships (18) Super Bowl appearances (4) Retired numbers Seasons 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010Current league affiliations League: National Football League • Conference: National Football Conference • Division: North DivisionCategories:- National Football League divisions
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1967 establishments
- Sports in the Midwestern United States
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