Football History Timline of January 24

🏈 A Day of Firsts, Dynasties, and Defensive Stands

January 24 occupies a unique space in football lore, marking the beginning of the sport’s modern commercial power and the crowning of its greatest legends. On this date in 1952, the NFL planted its first flag in Texas soil—a venture that failed quickly but paved the way for the Lone Star State’s football-obsessed culture. Years later, this same date saw the birth of the San Francisco 49ers dynasty in the snowy climate of Michigan and the emotional “Rebirth” of New Orleans as the Saints punched their first ticket to a Super Bowl. From massive television deals that reshaped the game’s economy to the birth of Hall of Fame talent scouts like Bobby Beathard, January 24 is a roadmap of the NFL’s evolution.

January 24 Football History Timeline

• January 24, 1952 – The Dallas Texans franchise was awarded after Dallas purchased the New York Yanks’ assets from the NFL. This is the first Texas NFL franchise in history. As we learned in the January 23 edition of this series, they were not very good, and the NFL shut them down after just one season. The remnants of the franchise were sold to Caroll Rosenbloom in 1953, forming the Baltimore Colts.
• On January 24, 1964, CBS purchased the NFL television broadcasting rights for the 1964 & 1965 seasons for a cool $28.2 million. NBC bid $21.5 million for rights to National Football League games in 1964 and 1965, but CBS won the war with a significantly higher bid. The ABC network paid a mere $2,350,000 in 1964 for the rights to broadcast the AFL, less than a third of the annual average of the NBC contract for the AFL’s rights in 1965, according to a New York Times article from January 30, 1964.
• January 24, 1971 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum –The NFC’s top players squashed the AFC squad by the score of 27-6 in the 21st NFL Pro Bowl. Fred Carr, the linebacker of the Green Bay Packers, and Mel Renfro, the corner of the Dallas Cowboys, were selected as the game’s MVPs.
• January 24, 1982 – Pontiac Silverdome, Detroit, Michigan – Super Bowl XVI featured the Cincinnati Bengals against the upstart San Francisco 49ers. For this story, we go to StadiumsofProFootball.com, which says this was the first time the Big Game was moved to a traditionally cold-weather venue. 49erswebzone.com fills us in on the other details: after a sizable first-half lead of 20-0, the 49ers watched as the Bengals heated up in the second half to score 21 points of their own. But two Ray Wersching field goals in the fourth quarter preserved the San Francisco victory over the Bengals, 26-21. Niners legendary Quarterback Joe Montanaended up as the game’s MVP as he threw for one TD and had a QB rating of 100.0 in the game.

Football Events of the New Millenniumfor January 24

• January 24, 2010 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis – In the AFC Championship, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the New York Jets, 30-17.
• January 24, 2010  – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – The NFC Championship game to see who would play the Colts was a tight one. The Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints would battle in this epic game. The starting quarterbacks were legends, with Brett Favre guiding the team in purple while Drew Brees called signals for the Saints.  Farve threw for 310 yards and a score, but was picked off two times, while Brees had three touchdown passes and kept the ball away from Minnesota’s secondary. Adrian Peterson scored the game-tying touchdown on a two-yard plunge at the 5:03 mark of the 4th to send the game to an extra session. Garrett Hartley sealed the Super Bowl trip for the Saints when he kicked a 40-yard field goal in overtime. The New Orleans Saints edged out the Minnesota Vikings, 31-28, per the Pro Football-Reference.com.  
• January 24, 2016 – Mile High Stadium, Denver – At the AFC Championship game for the 2015 season, it was Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos who overcame Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, 20-18, to advance to the Super Bowl.
• January 24, 2016 – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte -The Carolina Panthers had no trouble dispatching the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship. The Panthers, with Cam Newton under center and a ferocious defense, gobbled up the red birds 49-15 to advance to the Big game against the Broncos.

January 24 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays

• Bill Warner
• Chuck Taylor
• Don Bosseler
• Bobby Beathard

Bobby Beathard

Personnel Administrator / General Manager | Washington Redskins | 1978–1988

Conclusion: The Building Blocks of the Modern Game

The events of January 24 remind us that football is a game of both spectacular on-field moments and visionary off-field moves. Whether it was CBS betting millions on broadcasting rights in the 60s, or the Saints overcoming decades of struggle in an overtime thriller, these stories highlight the sport’s resilience and growth. As we look back on the legends born and the championships won on this day, we see the foundation of the multi-billion-dollar spectacle the NFL has become today.