Oldest Continuous Franchise Record
The oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the United States.
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The team plays its home games at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
- original_name
- Morgan Athletic Club (based in Chicago)
- championships_won
- 2 (NFL Championships - 1925, 1947)
Lore & Background
The Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the United States. Along with the Chicago Bears, they are the only NFL charter member franchises still in operation.
In Their Own Story
The dust of the 1890s still hangs in the air as the first practice begins on a muddy Chicago field. There are no stadium lights yet, only the fading gray of twilight and the smell of wet grass. A captain calls out plays that would seem primitive to modern eyes, but the spirit is electric. Decades later, though the city has changed from Chicago to St. Louis and finally to the desert sun of Arizona, the same jersey number is donned by a new generation, carrying the weight of a century of history onto the field.
Reader's Guide
The team was established in Chicago in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club and joined the NFL as a charter member on September 17, 1920. They moved to St. Louis in 1960, then to Tempe, Arizona before the 1988 season, and to their current home in Glendale in 2006.
Did You Know?
- The Cardinals have won two NFL championships, both while the team was in Chicago (1925 and 1947).
- As of 2025, the Cardinals have the longest active championship drought in North American sports at 78 seasons.
- The Cardinals have lost home playoff games, including the 2009 NFC Divisional Playoff and the 2015 NFC Championship Game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who holds the record for being the oldest continuous NFL franchise?
The Arizona Cardinals hold this distinction as the only team to have played continuously since before the league was officially formed. Their history traces back to 1898 when they were founded in Chicago.
What is the original name of the Arizona Cardinals' lineage?
Before becoming the Chicago Cardinals and eventually moving to Arizona, the team originated as the Morgan Athletic Club in Illinois. This organization began its operations nearly twenty years prior to the NFL's establishment.
How does the franchise's history begin according to official records?
The story starts in 1898 with the founding of the Morgan Athletic Club, making them survivors from the very earliest days of professional football. They predate the league itself and have operated without interruption since that time.
Why is this continuous operation record important to fans?
This status proves the Cardinals are the original survivors of professional football, having outlasted every other franchise in existence today. It connects modern supporters directly to the sport's foundational era before the NFL existed.
What championships did the franchise win during its early history?
As the Chicago Cardinals, the team secured two NFL Championships in 1925 and 1947. These titles were achieved while they operated as one of the league's founding members under their original identity.
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