How much did it cost to join the NFL in 1920?

The league set a fee of $100 per team. The Hall of Fame says no team ever paid it.

Where was the NFL founded?

In Canton, Ohio. NFL.com places the September 17, 1920 meeting in Ralph Hay's car showroom.

Which original NFL teams still exist?

The Bears, who began as the Decatur Staleys, and the Cardinals, who began in Racine.

THE NUMBERNovember 5, 20262 min read

The League That Became The NFL Charged $100 To Join. No Team Ever Paid It.

In 1920 the league that became the NFL set a $100 fee per team to look respectable. The Hall of Fame says no team ever paid it.

The American Professional Football Association, the league that became the NFL, took shape in Canton, Ohio, in 1920. The Pro Football Hall of Fame says a membership fee of $100 per team was charged to give an appearance of respectability, but no team ever paid it.

The meeting

NFL.com says 15 men representing 10 franchises met at Ralph Hay's auto dealership on September 17, 1920. Hay owned the Canton Bulldogs. Without enough chairs, some of the men sat on the running boards of his Hupmobiles. The Hall of Fame places the showroom at the first organizational meeting on August 20 and describes the September 17 session as a second meeting in Canton.

The 10 teams

The Hall of Fame lists Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Dayton from Ohio, the Hammond Pros and Muncie Flyers from Indiana, the Rochester Jeffersons from New York, and the Rock Island Independents, Decatur Staleys and Racine Cardinals from Illinois. Only two of the franchises survive. The Staleys are now the Chicago Bears, and the Cardinals now play in Arizona.

The president

The members elected Jim Thorpe president, hoping to capitalize on his fame. The league took the name National Football League on June 24, 1922, on a motion from George Halas.

Quick answers

How much did it cost to join the NFL in 1920?: The league set a fee of $100 per team. The Hall of Fame says no team ever paid it.
Where was the NFL founded?: In Canton, Ohio. NFL.com places the September 17, 1920 meeting in Ralph Hay's car showroom.
Which original NFL teams still exist?: The Bears, who began as the Decatur Staleys, and the Cardinals, who began in Racine.

Sources

If you think anything on this page is wrong, we want to know.

One football fact a day.

Sourced, short, and nothing to do with predictions.

Keep going

THE NUMBER

158.3

Highest passer rating possible

A Perfect NFL Passer Rating Is Not 100. It Is 158.3.

THE NUMBER

61,946

Official attendance at Super Bowl I