NFC North

One of four divisions in the NFL's National Football Conference


title: "NFC North" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["nfl-divisions", "chicago-bears", "detroit-lions", "history-of-the-green-bay-packers", "minnesota-vikings", "tampa-bay-buccaneers", "1967-establishments-in-the-united-states", "sports-in-the-midwestern-united-states"] description: "One of four divisions in the NFL's National Football Conference" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFC_North" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary One of four divisions in the NFL's National Football Conference ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox sports league"]

FieldValue
titleNFC North
sportAmerican football
leagueNational Football League
conferenceNational Football Conference
founded1967 (As NFL Western Conference Central Division)
teams4
countryUnited States
championChicago Bears
(12th title)
most_champsMinnesota Vikings
(21 titles)
::

| title = NFC North | sport = American football | league = National Football League | conference = National Football Conference | founded = 1967 (As NFL Western Conference Central Division) | teams = 4 | country = United States | champion = Chicago Bears (12th title) | most_champs = Minnesota Vikings (21 titles) | coord = | zoom = 5 | width = 310 | height = 250 | caption = NFC North Teams Location | mark1 = Orange pog.svg | label1 = Bears | mark-coord1 = | label-pos1 = top | label-color1 = black | mark2 = Blue pog.svg | label2 = Lions | mark-coord2 = | label-pos2 = top | label-color2 = black | mark3 = Green pog.svg | label3 = Packers | mark-coord3 = | label-pos3 = top | label-color3 = black | mark4 = Purple pog.svg | label4 = Vikings | mark-coord4 = | label-pos4 = top | label-color4 = black

The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough rivalry games between the teams, it currently has four members: the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings, with the latter three based within most definitions of the Upper Midwest.

History

This division has some of the oldest and most storied franchises in the NFL, including the Packers (founded 1919), the Bears (founded 1920), the Lions (founded 1930), and the most recently-founded team being the Minnesota Vikings (1961). The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were also members from 1977, one year after they joined the league as an expansion team, until 2002 when they moved to the NFC South.

The division was created in 1967 as the Central Division of the NFL's Western Conference and existed for three seasons before the AFL–NFL merger. After the merger, it was renamed the NFC Central in 1970 and retained that name until the NFL split into eight divisions in 2002. The four current division teams have been together in the same division or conference since the Vikings joined the league in 1961. The Bears (known as the Decatur Staleys in 1920 and the Chicago Staleys in 1921), Lions (known as the Portsmouth Spartans until 1934) and Packers have been in the same division or conference since the NFL began a conference format in 1933. Largely because the four teams have played each other at least twice a year, with the exception of the strike-shortened 1982 season, for more than 60 years (more than 80 years in the case of the Bears, Lions and Packers), the entire division is considered one very large rivalry. All four teams currently representing the NFC North have all finished a regular season with 15 regular season wins at some point; the Bears in 1985, the Vikings in 1998, the Packers in 2011, and the Lions in 2024; the only division to do so.

The division has a total of five Super Bowl wins. The Packers have won four and the Bears one, with the most recent happening at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Of the ten NFL teams with the highest winning percentage throughout their respective franchise histories, three of them are in the NFC North (the Packers, the Bears, and the Vikings). Conversely, the Lions have one of the lowest winning percentages in the NFL, including the first winless 16-game season in NFL history, in 2008.

The Packers hold an overall regular season record of 810–604–38 (through the end of the 2024 season) with an overall playoff record of 37–27, four Super Bowl titles in five Super Bowl appearances, and nine pre-Super Bowl league titles. The Bears hold an overall regular season record of 798–646–42 with an overall playoff record of 17–20, one Super Bowl title in two Super Bowl appearances, and eight pre-Super Bowl league titles. The Vikings hold an overall regular season record of 537–438–11 with an overall playoff record of 21–32, no Super Bowl titles in four Super Bowl appearances, and one league title. The Lions hold an overall regular season record of 606–709–34 with an overall playoff record of 9–15, and four pre-Super Bowl league titles. They have yet to appear in a Super Bowl.

In recent years, the division has been less successful in the playoffs than their contemporaries, holding the second-longest active Super Bowl drought (only ahead of the AFC South) and a 1–9 record in conference championships since 2007, with the only win being the Packers over the Bears in 2010. They have clinched two Super Bowl berths in the 21st century, compared to the other NFC divisions which each have six or more.

Nicknames

The division earned the moniker "Black and Blue Division" due to its intense rivalries and physical style of play, and this nickname is still used regularly today. It is also known as the "Frostbite Division" as all teams played home games in late season winter cold until the mid-1970s. The division is also humorously called the "Frozen North", although Detroit has played its home games indoors since 1975, and Minnesota also did so from 1982 to 2013 and returned to indoor home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016. The entire division is geographically further north than its American Football Conference counterpart, the AFC North (Chicago barely edging out Cleveland), though that division currently has all four teams playing outdoors and all receive brutal winters.

ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman often refers to this division as the "NFC Norris" because of its grittiness and its geographical similarity to the National Hockey League's former Norris Division, although in a twist of irony the NHL dropped the Norris name in favor of Central almost a decade before the NFL dropped the Central name in favor of North.

Division lineups

Place cursor over year for division champ or Super Bowl team.

::data[format=table] | Years | NFL Western Conference Central Division | NFC Central Division | 1900s | 2000s | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Chicago Bears | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Detroit Lions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Green Bay Packers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Minnesota Vikings | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

::data[format=table]

NFC North Division2000s02030405060708091011121314151617181920212223242526
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Team not in division Division Won Super Bowl Division Won NFC Championship Division won NFL Championship, Lost Super Bowl
::

:The NFL Western Conference was divided into the Coastal and Central divisions. The Packers had won Super Bowl I in 1966 in the NFL Western Conference. :Starting in the 1970 season, the division became the National Football Conference – Central Division (or NFC Central for short), after the AFL–NFL merger. :Tampa Bay moved from the AFC West in 1977 :For the 2002 season, the league realigned to have 8 four team divisions. Division adopts current name. Tampa Bay moves to the NFC South.

Division champions

::data[format=table]

SeasonTeamRecordPlayoff Results
NFL Central (pre-merger)
1967Green Bay Packersyear=1967}}
Won NFL Championship (Cowboys) 21–17
Won Super Bowl II (vs. Raiders) 33–14
1968Minnesota Vikingsyear=1968}}
1969Minnesota Vikingsyear=1969}}
Won NFL Championship (Browns) 27–7
Lost Super Bowl IV (vs. Chiefs) 7–23
NFC Central (post merger)
1970Minnesota Vikingsyear=1970}}
1971Minnesota Vikingsyear=1971}}
1972Green Bay Packersyear=1972}}
1973Minnesota Vikingsyear=1973}}
Won NFC Championship (at Cowboys) 27–10
Lost Super Bowl VIII (vs. Dolphins) 7–24
1974Minnesota Vikingsyear=1974}}
Won NFC Championship (Rams) 14–10
Lost Super Bowl IX (vs. Steelers) 6–16
1975Minnesota Vikingsyear=1975}}
1976Minnesota Vikingsyear=1976}}
Won NFC Championship (Rams) 24–13
Lost Super Bowl XI (vs. Raiders) 14–32
1977Minnesota Vikingsyear=1977}}
Lost NFC Championship (at Cowboys) 6–23
1978Minnesota Vikingsyear=1978}}
1979Tampa Bay Buccaneersyear=1979}}
Lost NFC Championship (Rams) 0–9
1980Minnesota Vikingsyear=1980}}
1981Tampa Bay Buccaneersyear=1981}}
1982+Green Bay Packersyear=1982}}
Lost Second Round playoffs (at Cowboys) 26–37
1983Detroit Lionsyear=1983}}
1984Chicago Bearsyear=1984}}
Lost NFC Championship (at 49ers) 0–23
1985Chicago Bearsyear=1985}}
Won NFC Championship (Rams) 24–0
Won Super Bowl XX (vs. Patriots) 46–10
1986Chicago Bearsyear=1986}}
1987Chicago Bearsyear=1987}}
1988Chicago Bearsyear=1988}}
Lost NFC Championship (49ers) 3–28
1989Minnesota Vikingsyear=1989}}
1990Chicago Bearsyear=1990}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Giants) 3–31
1991Detroit Lionsyear=1991}}
Lost NFC Championship (at Redskins) 10–41
1992Minnesota Vikingsyear=1992}}
1993Detroit Lionsyear=1993}}
1994Minnesota Vikingsyear=1994}}
1995Green Bay Packersyear=1995}}
Won Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 27–17
Lost NFC Championship (at Cowboys) 47–38
1996Green Bay Packersyear=1996}}
Won NFC Championship (Panthers) 30–13
Won Super Bowl XXXI (vs. Patriots) 35–21
1997Green Bay Packersyear=1997}}
Won NFC Championship (at 49ers) 23–10
Lost Super Bowl XXXII (vs. Broncos) 24–31
1998Minnesota Vikingsyear=1998}}
Lost NFC Championship (Falcons) 27–30 (OT)
1999Tampa Bay Buccaneersyear=1999}}
Lost NFC Championship (at Rams) 6–11
2000Minnesota Vikingsyear=2000}}
Lost NFC Championship (at Giants) 0–41
2001Chicago Bearsyear=2001}}
NFC North
2002Green Bay Packers}}12–4
2003Green Bay Packers}}10–6
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Eagles) 17–20 (OT)
2004Green Bay Packers}}10–6
2005Chicago Bears}}11–5
2006Chicago Bears}}13–3
Won NFC Championship (Saints) 39–14
Lost Super Bowl XLI (vs. Colts) 17–29
2007Green Bay Packers}}13–3
Lost NFC Championship (Giants) 20–23 (OT)
2008Minnesota Vikings}}10–6
2009Minnesota Vikings}}12–4
Lost NFC Championship (at Saints) 28–31 (OT)
2010Chicago Bears}}11–5
Lost NFC Championship (Packers) 14–21
2011Green Bay Packers}}15–1
2012Green Bay Packers}}11–5
Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 31–45
2013Green Bay Packers}}8–7–1
2014Green Bay Packers}}12–4
Lost NFC Championship (at Seahawks) 22–28 (OT)
2015Minnesota Vikings}}11–5
2016Green Bay Packers}}10–6
Won Divisional playoffs (at Cowboys) 34–31
Lost NFC Championship (at Falcons) 21–44
2017Minnesota Vikings}}13–3
Lost NFC Championship (at Eagles) 7–38
2018Chicago Bears}}12–4
2019Green Bay Packers}}13–3
Lost NFC Championship (at 49ers) 20–37
2020Green Bay Packers}}13–3
Lost NFC Championship (Buccaneers) 26–31
2021Green Bay Packers}}13–4
2022Minnesota Vikings}}13–4
2023Detroit Lionsyear=2023}}
Won Divisional playoffs (Buccaneers) 31–23
Lost NFC Championship (at 49ers) 31–34
2024Detroit Lionsyear=2024}}
2025Chicago Bearsyear=2025}}** **
Lost Divisional playoffs (Rams) 17–20 (OT)
::
  • A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games, so the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored; Green Bay had the best record of the division teams.
  • Regular season still underway.--

Wild Card qualifiers

::data[format=table]

SeasonTeamRecordPlayoff Results
NFC Central
1970Detroit Lionsyear=1970}}
1977Chicago Bearsyear=1977}}
1979Chicago Bearsyear=1979}}
1982+Minnesota Vikingsyear=1982}}
Lost Second Round playoffs (at Redskins) 7–21
Tampa Bay Buccaneersyear=1982}}5–4
Detroit Lionsyear=1982}}4–5
1987Minnesota Vikingsyear=1987}}
Won Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 36–24
Lost NFC Championship (at Redskins) 10–17
1988Minnesota Vikingsyear=1988}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 9–34
1991Chicago Bearsyear=1991}}
1993Minnesota Vikingsyear=1993}}
Green Bay Packersyear=1993}}9–7
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Cowboys) 17–27
1994Green Bay Packersyear=1994}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Cowboys) 9–35
Detroit Lionsyear=1994}}9–7
Chicago Bearsyear=1994}}9–7
Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 15–44
1995Detroit Lionsyear=1995}}
1996Minnesota Vikingsyear=1996}}
1997Tampa Bay Buccaneersyear=1997}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Packers) 7–21
Detroit Lionsyear=1997}}9–7
Minnesota Vikingsyear=1997}}9–7
Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 22–38
1998Green Bay Packersyear=1998}}
1999Minnesota Vikingsyear=1999}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Rams) 37–49
Detroit Lionsyear=1999}}8–8
2000Tampa Bay Buccaneersyear=2000}}
2001Green Bay Packersyear=2001}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Rams) 17–45
Tampa Bay Buccaneersyear=2001}}9–7
NFC North
2004Minnesota Vikingsyear=2004}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Eagles) 14–27
2009Green Bay Packersyear=2009}}
2010Green Bay Packersyear=2010}}
Won Divisional playoffs (at Falcons) 48–21
Won NFC Championship (at Bears) 21–14
Won Super Bowl XLV (vs. Steelers) 31–25
2011Detroit Lionsyear=2011}}
2012Minnesota Vikingsyear=2012}}
2014Detroit Lionsyear=2014}}
2015Green Bay Packersyear=2015}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at Cardinals) 20–26 (OT)
2016Detroit Lionsyear=2016}}
2019Minnesota Vikingsyear=2019}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 10–27
2020Chicago Bearsyear=2020}}
2023Green Bay Packersyear=2023}}
Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 21–24
2024Minnesota Vikingsyear=2024}}
Green Bay Packersyear=2024}}11–6
2025Green Bay Packersyear=2025}}
::
  • A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games, so the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year.

Total playoff berths

Total playoff berths as members of the NFC Central/North

(1967–2025 seasons)

::data[format=table] | Team | Division championships | Playoff berths | NFL league titles | Super Bowl appearances | Super Bowl wins | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Minnesota Vikings | 21 | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | | Green Bay Packers | 17 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 4 | | Chicago Bears | 12 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 1 | | Detroit Lions | 5 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ::

(1)Does not include Green Bay's 1966 season Super Bowl I win

(2)Does not include Tampa Bay's 1976 season (AFC West) and 2002+ seasons (NFC South)

Total playoff berths in team history

(1920–2024 seasons)

::data[format=table] | Team | Division championships | Playoff berths | NFL league titles (pre-merger) | Conference wins | Super Bowl wins | Total (1) championships | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Chicago Bears | 20 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 9 | | Green Bay Packers | 21 | 38 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 13 | | Minnesota Vikings | 21 | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | | Detroit Lions | 6 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ::

:1 From 1966 to 1969, this means winning both the NFL Championship Game and the Super Bowl. As such, the Vikings' NFL championship in 1969 is not counted. The Packers had two NFL titles during this timeframe and also won Super Bowl I and II.

Season results

::data[format=table]

(#)Denotes team that qualified for the NFL Playoffs
::

::data[format=table] | Season ||colspan="5"| Team (record) | 1st || 2nd || 3rd || 4th || 5th | NFL Central (pre-merger) | NFC Central (post merger) | |---|---|---|---| | | | | | | | Green Bay (9–4–1) | Chicago (7–6–1) | Detroit (5–7–2) | | | Minnesota (8–6) | Chicago (7–7) | Green Bay (6–7–1) | | | Minnesota (12–2) | Detroit (9–4–1) | Green Bay (8–6) | | | Minnesota (12–2) | Detroit (10–4) | Green Bay (6–8) | | | Minnesota (11–3) | Detroit (7–6–1) | Chicago (6–8) | | | Green Bay (10–4) | Detroit (8–5–1) | Minnesota (7–7) | | | Minnesota (12–2) | Detroit (6–7–1) | Green Bay (5–7–2) | | | Minnesota (10–4) | Detroit (7–7) | Green Bay (6–8) | | | (1) Minnesota (12–2) | Detroit (7–7) | Chicago (4–10) | | | (1) Minnesota (11–2–1) | Chicago (7–7) | Detroit (6–8) | | | | | | | | (3) Minnesota (9–5) | (4) Chicago (9–5) | Detroit (6–8) | | | (3) Minnesota (8–7–1) | Green Bay (8–7–1) | Detroit (7–9) | | | (2) Tampa Bay (10–6) | (5) Chicago (10–6) | Minnesota (7–9) | | | (3) Minnesota (9–7) | Detroit (9–7) | Chicago (7–9) | | | (3) Tampa Bay (9–7) | Detroit (8–8) | Green Bay (8–8) | | ^ | (3) Green Bay (5–3–1) | (4) Minnesota (5–4) | (7) Tampa Bay (5–4) | | | (3) Detroit (9–7) | Green Bay (8–8) | Chicago (8–8) | | | (3) Chicago (10–6) | Green Bay (8–8) | Tampa Bay (6–10) | | | (1) Chicago (15–1) | Green Bay (8–8) | Minnesota (7–9) | | | (2) Chicago (14–2) | Minnesota (9–7) | Detroit (5–11) | | | (2) Chicago (11–4) | (5) Minnesota (8–7) | Green Bay (5–9–1) | | | (1) Chicago (12–4) | (4) Minnesota (11–5) | Tampa Bay (5–11) | | | (3) Minnesota (10–6) | Green Bay (10–6) | Detroit (7–9) | | | (3) Chicago (11–5) | Tampa Bay (6–10) | Detroit (6–10) | | | (2) Detroit (12–4) | (4) Chicago (11–5) | Minnesota (8–8) | | | (3) Minnesota (11–5) | Green Bay (9–7) | Tampa Bay (5–11) | | | (3) Detroit (10–6) | (5) Minnesota (9–7) | (6) Green Bay (9–7) | | | (3) Minnesota (10–6) | (4) Green Bay (9–7) | (5) Detroit (9–7) | | | (3) Green Bay (11–5) | (5) Detroit (10–6) | Chicago (9–7) | | | (1) Green Bay (13–3) | (6) Minnesota (9–7) | Chicago (7–9) | | | (2) Green Bay (13–3) | (4) Tampa Bay (10–6) | (5) Detroit (9–7) | | | (1) Minnesota (15–1) | (5) Green Bay (11–5) | Tampa Bay (8–8) | | | (2) Tampa Bay (11–5) | (4) Minnesota (10–6) | (6) Detroit (8–8) | | | (2) Minnesota (11–5) | (5) Tampa Bay (10–6) | Green Bay (9–7) | | | (2) Chicago (13–3) | (4) Green Bay (12–4) | (6) Tampa Bay (9–7) | ::

Schedule assignments

::data[format=table]

YearOpponentsInterconf.Intraconf.17th opponent
2026AFC EastNFC SouthAFC South
(home)
2027AFC WestNFC WestAFC North
(away)
2028AFC SouthNFC EastAFC East
(home)
2029AFC NorthNFC SouthAFC West
(away)
2030AFC EastNFC WestAFC South
(home)
2031AFC WestNFC EastAFC North
(away)
::

References

References

  1. "Super Bowl History".
  2. Jenkins, Chris. (December 28, 2008). "Lions make history as NFL's first 0–16 team".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

nfl-divisionschicago-bearsdetroit-lionshistory-of-the-green-bay-packersminnesota-vikingstampa-bay-buccaneers1967-establishments-in-the-united-statessports-in-the-midwestern-united-states