Itās been more than two decades since the NFL last shuffled its divisional structure, going from three divisions in each league to the current four teams across for divisions in the AFC and NFC, creating opportunity and confusion for fans and players alike.
In the old system, both conferences had an East, Central and West division, with the AFC having five teams in the East and West, with six teams in the Central, while the NFC had five teams across the three divisions.
In 2002, the arrival of the Houston Texans meant that the NFL needed to shift things around, which created the current system, with the Texans joining the newly founded AFC South, while the NFC South also began that year.
Thinking with our North Carolina sports betting mindset, we used an NFL team quiz on Sporacle.com, BetCarolina.com found the average percentage of times users correctly named the teams within each NFL division. We then ranked the four most forgotten divisions based on the average percentage of recognition each division had.
Most Forgotten NFL Divisions
Rank | Division | Avg. % Recognition |
1 | NFC South | 83.5% |
2 | AFC South | 84.1% |
3 | AFC West | 85.0% |
4 | NFC West | 85.8% |
The data above isn't available on North Carolina sportsbook apps, but it may shine some light on which divisions are bet on most.
Where The NFC South Ranks in Terms Of Fan Recognition
It seems like the NFCās newest division is the toughest for fans to remember, with the four-team pod being recognized by 83.5% of respondents, beating out the AFC South as the least known division in the NFL.
Overall, the AFC South had an 84.1% recognition figure, while the AFC and NFC West were the next lowest, at 85.0% and 85.8%, respectively, illustrating how bad NFL fans are at their gridiron geography.
This year, oddsmakers at Bet365 North Carolina have the Atlanta Falcons as their preseason favorite to win the NFLās least-known division, at -130, ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+325), New Orleans Saints (+350) and Carolina Panthers (+1100).
USA Today photo by Stephen Lew.
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Author
Christopher Boan is a lead writer at BetCarolina.com specializing in covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
