AFC Central - Definition and Overview

The AFC Central refers to the Central Division of the American Football Conference of the National Football League.

The AFC Central was formed in 1970 when the National Football League and American Football League merged. The new NFL was broken into six divisions. The original AFC Central had four members, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Houston Oilers. This construction remained for 24 years.

In 1994, the Jacksonville Jaguars joined the league through expansion and were placed in the AFC Central. In 1996, the Cleveland Browns moved and became the Baltimore Ravens. The next year, the Oilers moved to Memphis to become the Tennessee Titans but they remained in the AFC Central.

The construction of the AFC Central changed once again in 1999, when the second incarnation of the Cleveland Browns entered the league. The division only had six members for the 1999, 2000, and 2001 seasons, however. In 2002, the NFL realigned into eight divisions of four teams. The AFC Central ceased after the 2001 season

Currently, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Baltimore Ravens are members of the AFC North division.