Football NFC North
The NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference of the NFL. The teams in the NFC North are the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings.
The division was created at the beginning of the Super Bowl era in 1967 as the NFC Central division, which remained the name until 2002 when the NFL realigned their teams and renamed the division. The NFC North is the most consistent division in football in terms of past participants, as the four current teams were the four original ones. The only other member was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1977-2001.
The NFC North houses arguably the greatest rivalry in football between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
List of NFC North Teams
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
NFC North Performance History
The NFC North Division had a combined 21 championships before the Super Bowl era. The Packers won nine of those championships, barely edging out the Bears’ total of eight, while the Lions won four. In 2002, the division was renamed from the NFC Central to the NFC North. Below is each current team’s performance since the NFC Central/North division was created in 1967.
| Team | Playoff Berths | Division Titles | NFC Championships | Super Bowl Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 15 | 11 | 9 | 1 |
| Detroit Lions | 12 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Green Bay Packers | 25 | 18 | 13 | 4 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 30 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
NFC North Super Bowl Appearances and Wins
The Green Bay Packers lead the NFC North in terms of both Super Bowl appearances and wins. The Packers have appeared in five Super Bowls since its inception, and have won in four of those appearances. The only other team to win a Super Bowl in the NFC North is the Chicago Bears.
Green Bay Packers
The first of the Green Bay Packers four Super Bowl wins came in the first-ever Super Bowl in 1967. They would go on to repeat the feat in 1968, winning Super Bowl II. The Packers were led by Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi for both of these titles. The next Super Bowl win for the Packers came in 1997, when they defeated the New England Patriots. The Packers made it back to the Super Bowl the following year in 1998, but lost to the Denver Broncos. This would be the only Super Bowl the Packers appeared in but did not win. The most recent Super Bowl win by the Packers came in 2011, when quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the team to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are the only other team in the NFC North to win a Super Bowl. The Bears won their only Super Bowl in 1986, led by coaching legend Mike Ditka. The Bears only other Super Bowl appearance came in 2006, when they lost to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have never won a Super Bowl, despite appearing in four editions of the game. The Vikings appeared in the Super Bowl in 1970, 1974, 1975, and 1977. The Vikings have not made it back to the big game since.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are the only team in the NFC North to have not participated in a Super Bowl. In fact, the Lions have only made it to the NFC Championship once in the Super Bowl era.
NFC North Divisional Championships
The Minnesota Vikings lead the way in the NFC North in terms of Divisional Championships, with 20 division titles. Minnesota has been historically bad at capitalizing on these playoff appearances, however, as they are 0-4 all-time in the Super Bowl. Their first divisional title came in 1968, with their most recent being in 2017.
After the Vikings, the Green Bay Packers hold the most Divisional Championships of the NFC North, with 18 titles. Green Bay has had far more Super Bowl success, however, due to their four wins out of five appearances in the Big Game. The Packers’ first divisional title was won in the very first year of the division (then called the NFC Central), in 1967. Their most recent win occurred in 2021, though they lost the Divisional Playoffs that year against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Chicago Bears follow the Packers with 11 divisional titles to their name, alongside their solitary Super Bowl victory. The Bears’ first divisional title occurred in 1984, and their most recent in 2018.
Despite being one of the NFL’s oldest teams, the Lions only have three NFC North titles and haven’t yet made an appearance in the Super Bowl. Detroit’s first Divisional Championship occurred in 1983, a year in which they lost the Divisional Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers. Their second divisional title, in 1991, led them to the NFC Championship, which they lost to the Washington Redskins. Their final and most recent divisional title, in 1993, ended in a defeat during the Divisional Playoffs to the Green Bay Packers.
FAQ
What teams are in the NFC North?
The NFC North is comprised of the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions. The oldest team in the division is the Green Bay Packers, who were founded in August of 1919, just one year before their divisional rivals, the Chicago Bears. The youngest team in the division is the Minnesota Vikings, who were founded in 1960.
How long has the NFC North Division been in the NFL?
The NFC North has existed in the NFL since the 2002 divisional realignment created four divisions in each conference. Prior to this, the NFC North was called the NFC Central Division. The NFC Central consisted of the same teams as the current NFC North, but also briefly included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who entered the division in 1977 and departed in 2002. However, aside from this, the NFC North has remained completely stable, always containing the four teams it currently consists of today.
What team has won the NFC North Division the most?
The Minnesota Vikings have the most NFC North Division titles, with 18 in the Super Bowl era. Despite the fact that they have the most divisional titles, the Vikings have not played in the Super Bowl since 1977.