Why are the Cowboys in the NFC East?

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most storied franchises in the history of the NFL. They played their first-ever game on Sept. 24, 1960, in the Cotton Bowl versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas went on to lose that game 35 - 28. The franchise started out playing in the NFL West division in that 1960 season before moving to the NFL East division the following season until the 1966 season.

They were in the NFL Capitol division from the 1967 season to the 1969 season before finally moving to the NFC East division in 1970. How did America's team end up in the NFC East in the first place?

The answer takes us back over 50 years as the AFL and NFL were in the process of merging in 1969. The Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Steelers of the NFL agreed to join the AFL to create the 13-team American Football Conference.

As part of the merger, both leagues functioned under the NFL shield and its commissioner, Pete Rozelle, in the subsequent 1970 season. The league would be split into two 13-team conferences with three divisions in each conference. In the new NFC, there were plenty of east coast teams and a few teams out west.

As rumors have it, Rozelle’s secretary, Thelma Elkjer, reached into a glass vase and randomly selected the breakdown that would be the structure of the NFC as we know it today.

The New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders were in the NFC East in each of the league's five submissions. Four of the five submissions had the Minnesota Vikings in the East and Dallas in either the Central or West. Ultimately, the Cowboys ended up randomly in the NFC East thanks to Elkjer's hand.

---

Cowboys since joining the NFC East

Dallas Cowboys v New York Giants

Since becoming a member of the NFC East to start the 1970 season, Dallas has won the division 20 times overall and six times since the 2004 season. Since the 1970 season, they have won the Super Bowl four times. In total, they have a 234 -139 record (.627 winning percentage) against their NFC opponents.

In 1989, Jerry Jones became the new owner of the Cowboys as the team is in search of another Lombardi Trophy, winning their last one in the 1995 season. So far, the team is now 3 -1 and is in second place to the Eagles in the NFC East. We'll see if the Cowboys can win another NFC East title in the 2022 season.

---