1966 American Football Season

The 1966 American football season stands as a monumental turning point in sports history, defined by structural consolidation and legendary team performances. Most notably, this season marked the formal agreement to merge the National Football League (NFL) and the rival American Football League (AFL), laying the groundwork for the modern professional football landscape.

Professional Football and the Dawn of the Super Bowl

Following years of intense bidding wars for players, the NFL and AFL announced a formal merger agreement in the summer of 1966. While the leagues maintained separate regular-season schedules, they agreed to meet in an annual World Championship Game.

• The Green Bay Packers: Coached by Vince Lombardi, the Packers dominated the NFL, finishing the regular season 12-2. They defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-27 in a thrilling NFL Championship game.
• The Kansas City Chiefs: Led by head coach Hank Stram, the Chiefs captured the AFL title by commanding the Buffalo Bills in a 31-7 victory.
• Super Bowl I: On January 15, 1967, the Packers and Chiefs met at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game (later officially dubbed Super Bowl I). The Packers secured a historic 35-10 victory, with quarterback Bart Starr earning MVP honors.

College Football and the “Game of the Century”

The 1966 college football season was equally dramatic, dominated by the fierce rivalry between Notre Dame and Michigan State.

• The November 19 Clash: Both teams entered their late-season matchup undefeated, with Notre Dame ranked No. 1 and Michigan State ranked No. 2.
• The 10-10 Tie: In one of the most famous and controversial games in college football history, Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian elected to run out the clock in the final absolute minute to preserve a 10-10 tie rather than risk a turnover.
• The National Championship: Despite the tie, the final AP Poll awarded Notre Dame the national championship, while Michigan State finished at No. 2. Both teams featured an extraordinary depth of future NFL talent.

A Deep Dive into 1966 Football History and Highlights

Beyond the championship games, the 1966 season witnessed incredible individual milestones. In the NFL, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Bob Hayes revolutionized the passing game with his Olympic-sprinting speed, forcing defenses to develop zone coverages. Meanwhile, the Heisman Trophy was awarded to Florida quarterback Steve Spurrier, who led the Gators to a 9-2 record and an Orange Bowl victory. The year marked the end of a definitive era of split leagues and the beginning of a unified trajectory for American football as a premier cultural powerhouse.

• January 1, 1966 – There was a major upset at the 52nd Rose Bowl. The No. 1-ranked Michigan Spartans fell to the UCLA Bruins, 12-14, altering the National Championship race.
• January 1, 1966 – Another upset, as the #2 Arkansas Razorbacks fell to the LSU Tigers, 7-14, in the Cotton Bowl.
• January 1, 1966 – The final bowl game of the 1965 season would decide the National Championship. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant, defeated previously unbeaten Nebraska, 39-28, in the Orange Bowl to claim the consensus AP National Championship.
• January 2, 1966 – Lambeau Field, Green Bay – The Cleveland Browns made their way to Wisconsin to battle the Packers in the final National Football League Championship Game before the Super Bowls started. This 1965 NFL Championship game was the first League title game broadcast in color. The teams exchanged passing TDs in the first quarter, according to the boxscore on the Pro-Football-Reference website. The Browns could only muster two Lou Groza field goals the rest of the game, while the Pack added a Paul Hornung touchdown run and three Don Chandler 3-pointers to steal the title. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-12 in the last championship game of the pre-Super Bowl Era of Pro football.
• January 15, 1966 – Rice Stadium, Houston – The AFL All-Star Game was played for the fifth time to celebrate the top players in the League. The All-Star squad would face the League Champion Buffalo Bills, according to the website RemembertheAFL.com. It was the All-Stars who would get the better of the Champs in this game as they beat the Buffalo Bills, 30-19. The Most Valuable Players in the game were the Jets quarterback Joe Namath and Frank Buncom, the linebacker from the Los Angeles Chargers.
• April 8, 1966 – Al Davis, at the age of 36, became the commissioner of the AFL after a league-wide vote.
• May 12, 1966 – St. Louis’ Busch Stadium opens; Braves lose to the Cards 4-3 in 12 innings. The St. Louis Football Cardinals played in Busch Stadium from 1966 through the 1985 season. The St. Louis Rams also played there and were the last home team in the final gridiron game, played on October 22, 1995, against the San Francisco 49ers. After the Rams left Busch Stadium, it was retrofitted for baseball only.
• September 2, 1966 – The Miami Dolphins play their very first game ever against the Oakland Raiders. First regular season game, that is. It was in front of 26,776 fans at the Orange Bowl.
• September 3, 1966 – The Houston Oilers open up their season with some strong defense as they hold the Denver Broncos to zero. Yes, zero with a “Z” first downs at Rice Stadium in a 45 to 7 victory.
• September 18, 1966 – Johnny Unitas passed YA Tittle as the NFL’s career passing touchdown leader. Johnny U. tossed four scoring strikes in a Baltimore Colts win over the Minnesota Vikings by the score of 3823. Tittle’s record was 212 touchdown passes. Unitas went on to throw many more, finishing his remarkable career with 290 total scoring passes.
• November 1, 1966 – Pontchartrain Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana – NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced that the League had awarded the 16th franchise to the New Orleans Saints. The Saints played their first game on September 17, 1967, and the first play was a memorable 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by rookie John Gilliam against the Los Angeles Rams, as the Saints won 27-13 in front of over 80,000 at Tulane Stadium.
• November 8, 1966 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signed antitrust immunity to the AFL-NFL merger. An Associated Press article by Frederic J. Frommer, published in January 2010, provides some details about the act.  In 1966, the National Football League announced plans to merge with its rival American Football League, as cutthroat competition for college players had led some teams to the brink of financial ruin. The leagues turned to Congress to seek an antitrust exemption for the merger. Thanks to deft maneuvering by two powerful Louisiana Democrats, Senate Democratic Whip Russell Long and House acting Majority Leader Hale Boggs, Congress gave its blessing to the union of the NFL and AFL. Within two weeks, the league awarded an expansion team to New Orleans. If you remember, back in our November 1 post, we mentioned that the NFL awarded the Saints franchise. This AP article suggests it was a thank-you to some key members of Congress. LBJ made it official on November 8, 1966, by inking the deal.
• November 19, 1966 – Spartan Stadium, Michigan State University – This game is one of a handful dubbed “Games of the Century.” It was the #2-in-the-nation Michigan State Spartans hoisting the top team in the rankings, Notre Dame, according to the American Football Database’s article. The Spartans jumped out to a fast start, hitting hard, and Irish starting QB Terry Hanratty and their top rusher, Nick Eddy, exited the game early with shoulder injuries. Then, Center George Goeddeke wrenched his ankle, and he was hobbled. Michigan State jumped out to a 7–0 lead behind a 5-yard touchdown run by Regis Cavender early in the second quarter. Later in the half, MSU added a field goal to go up 10-0. The Irish responded promptly when Quarterback Coley O’Brien launched a scoring strike to halfback Bob Gladieux just over the fingertips of the MSU defender to make the score 10-7 at the half. The scoring was silent until Notre Dame kicker Joe Azzaro knocked through the tying field goal just barely into the fourth quarter. The defenses for both teams stood tall, and the Irish missed a 41-yard field goal attempt. This Game of the Century ended in a 10-10 tie.
• November 22, 1966 – The 32nd Heisman Trophy winner was announced, with Quarterback Steve Spurrier from Florida taking home the hardware.
• November 26, 1966 – Empire Stadium, Vancouver – The 54th CFL Grey Cup game was played. It was a significant game as the Saskatchewan Roughriders won their first Championship by downing the Ottawa Rough Riders by the score of 29-14. 
• November 27, 1965 – 1966 NFL Draft was held on this day, and the number one pick was Tommy Nobis from the University of Texas, whom the Atlanta Falcons picked. 
• November 27, 1966 – D.C. Stadium, Washington – In the highest-scoring NFL game, with the teams combining for 113 points, the Washington Redskins out-raced the New York Giants in a track-meet game, 72-41, per a Washington Post story on the event. The Washington club scored 10 touchdowns in the contest and picked off 5 Giants passes to help the team get over the 70-point threshold.
• December 3, 1966 – Alabama blanked rival Auburn 31-0 in the 31st Iron Bowl, played at Legion Field in Birmingham.
• December 11, 1966 – Franklin Field, Philadelphia – Al Nelson of the Philadelphia Eagles returned a Cleveland Browns missed field goal attempt that fell just short near the goal line an NFL record 100 yards for a score! This TD helped the Eagles cruise to a 33-21 victory. This record return of Nelson’s was trumped on November 4, 2007, probably never to be broken, when Antonio Cromartie of San Diego went 109 yards plus coast-to-coast on a missed FG by the Vikings at the end of the first half in a tie game.