What was the reasoning for moving Seattle to the NFC?

[InMyChambers]

Not to many years ago the Seahawks were apart of the AFC West. Then when the NFL expanded for Houston the Seahawks switched to the NFC.

Two things come to mind as to why Seattle was chosen as the one to go to the NFC and not Houston in my mind. 1) Geography. Seattle being a western team wouldn't fit in a "south" division. i find this to be more semantics than anything but i could buy it if i had to. 2) With Tenn being in the same division potentially and Houston taking their place a "rivalry" could be born easily.

Anyone know the exact answer?

 

[cnc66]

becuse Mike Holmgren didn't want to coach an AFC team?

 

[Alex44]

I read on NFL.com before that

The afc had 16 teams and the NFC had 15 teams

But they wernt going to put the texans in the NFC because of their history of the oilers being in the AFC, therefor they had to move an AFC team and the seahawks were the one

although it doesnt say y

 

[kastofsna120]

they moved the seahawks because till that point, they've never done anything significant, and didn't really have any long history or great rivalries with the other AFC west teams, so they figured it wouldn't hurt to move them to the NFC. it's like when they moved the brewers to the NL

 

[ether79]

they moved the seahawks because till that point, they've never done anything significant, and didn't really have any long history or great rivalries with the other AFC west teams, so they figured it wouldn't hurt to move them to the NFC. it's like when they moved the brewers to the NL

Yep. They had to move one AFC team and it wasn't going to be the Texans. Look at the rest of the AFC. You couldn't move anyone else when considering the NFC rivalries also.

 

[Sirspud]

I read on NFL.com before that

The afc had 16 teams and the NFC had 15 teams

But they wernt going to put the texans in the NFC because of their history of the oilers being in the AFC, therefor they had to move an AFC team and the seahawks were the one

although it doesnt say y

Kinda funny considering that they ignored Seattle's history of being in the AFC. I guess the Seahawks were a pretty crappy franchise up to that point and could use a freash start (stadium, unis, etc.).

 

[MikeO]

Because they brought CLEVELAND back and they had to put hte Browns in the AFC so someone had to go to the NFC. It was down between Indy or Seattle. Ended up being Seattle.

 

[HysterikiLL]

Imagine if the 'Hawks were in the AFC now and the Texans did as some are saying, go to the NFC. The AFC would be so damn top-heavy that the playoffs would be a joke!

 

[kastofsna120]

Because they brought CLEVELAND back and they had to put hte Browns in the AFC so someone had to go to the NFC. It was down between Indy or Seattle. Ended up being Seattle.

yeah except that was 3 years after cleveland joined the league. the year houston entered was the year the realignment started