Is the NFL’s Division System Becoming Outdated?
The divisions in the NFL create competition. Divisions offer rivalry, which makes the game more intense, which is exactly what is happening in the NFC North. There is a long history behind why we have divisions the way that they are today. The NFL division system has been the same since 2002. The NFC and AFC each have four divisions with four teams in each one, making 32 teams in total. There is the south, north, east, and west of the NFC and AFC. It has worked out well in recent years but what has happened recently leaves room for questions about it.
The Current Situation
The Lions currently have 14 wins and two losses and the Vikings do too. Tomorrow night they will battle to see who will win the division. The winner will secure the one seed in the playoffs and get a first-round bye. The problem is that the loser will not get the two seed in the playoffs, they will get the five seed in the Wild Card game. Regardless of who wins, having a 14-win team as a five-seed is ridiculous. To illustrate this, let's compare seeds. The Los Angeles Rams have had an average season with 10 wins and six losses. However, their division is so bad that they won it, making them the third seed in the playoffs. Why in the world would the 14-win team be a fifth seed, while the 10-win team is a three seed? The answer is because that is how the NFL is set up.
The Solution
The solution to this problem is to have only the NFC division and the AFC division. This would mean that there would be no east, west, south, or north division. Playoffs would only go off of records instead of who wins the divisions because there will only be two divisions. This solution would be much more fair. However, it also may be much more boring. Divisions in football create rivalries. If there are only two divisions it would eliminate the intensity of the competition. The question becomes, do the viewers want a league that is fair or a league that is entertaining? As an angry Lions fan, I choose fair.
There is no evidence that the division system in the NFL will be changing anytime soon. Divisions create rivalries. Rivalries make money. It would not make sense for the commissioner to even want to change the way it is. However If we continue to see teams like the Lions and the Vikings not getting what they deserve, it might change one day.
