FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-51 9/29/00

NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE has appointed a seven-member working group of NFL owners to study and report on the realignment of the league for the 2002 season.

The NFL will be realigned from its current six-division format into eight divisions of four teams each when the Houston Texans take the field in 2002 as the league’s 32nd team.

"The purpose of the working group will be to meet with every owner in the league to discuss realignment alternatives, to understand the perspectives of all clubs on realignment, and to make a fact-finding report to the membership at a special league meeting on realignment in January," said Commissioner Tagliabue.

The realignment working group will meet with NFL owners on a regional basis, prepare an analysis, and report to all clubs at the special league meeting on January 17 in Dallas. The clubs have agreed to make a final decision on realignment by June 1, 2001.

Realignment last took place in the NFL in 1970 when the NFL and AFL merged into two conferences of three divisions each, the present setup.

The working group’s regional meetings will be conducted with "west" owners on November 14 in Denver, and "east" owners on December 6 in New York.

* AFC Central, the only current division with six teams, has two representatives.