It had happened before - and it would happen again. Just as the success of the first pro baseball league had inspired various upstarts to attempt to "horn in on the action," pro football got its first taste of multi-league competition in 1926 when the American Football Association found itself fighting off the upstart Football Alliance of America (FAA). The story played out in a very familiar way for those who had been students of baseball history - the established league (the AFA in this case) was now turning away applicants. Those applicants, angry, decided that if you can't join 'em, then you'd better beat 'em and started their own league.

The FAA placed teams in Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Newark, Philadelphia and Youngstown - all current or former AFA locales - and then went one better and put a team in... Los Angeles. Well, sort of. The Los Angeles Crusaders would play no games in the City of Angels. They were a travelling team. But the FAA had big plans and they set about implementing them by following the long-established blueprint. Step one - sign away the other guys' players. And they did, sometimes by giving the player the team, as was the case for Jack Barrell, who was handed the keys to the FAA's Chicago Chiefs entry. 

The AFA was, unsurprisingly, not amused. Competition drove up salaries, and many of these pro football outfits were operating on a shoestring. Whether the sport could survive two competing leagues was going to be the biggest question answered by the wildest season in history. The AFA, out of sheer spite, added two teams of its own, ballooning to 22 teams, a size it would not reach again until decades later. The Louisville Colts and Evansville Lions returned (the Pittsburgh Pros had returned in 1925), but none of those three would last beyond '26. Kristich's own team, the Fort Wayne Titans, would likewise disappear after the season. 

Though the records are largely lost or sealed, no one made much (or any) money in 1926. It ended up being a bloodbath. The FAA would disappear, taking its nine teams with it, while the AFA would see more than half its clubs leave as well. In the end, the season ultimately proved to a benefit to pro football: a much slimmer and tighter circuit would emerge, one that became the foundation for the modern AFA as the smaller cities began to be edged out in favor of "big league" cities in a fashion similar to baseball and hockey.

AFA All-Pro Team

Ends

  • Abner Williams, Los Angeles Locomotives
  • Bob Martelly, Baltimore Browns

Tackles

  • Gary Dougher, Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Bill Cooke, Chicago Wildcats

Guards

  • Rufus Gill, Chicago Wildcats
  • Bill Pierceall, Baltimore Browns

Center

  • Jake Parkman, Chicago Wildcats

Quarterback

  • Harry Alexander, Chicago Wildcats

Halfbacks

  • John Scotten, Detroit Maroons
  • George Dillard, Los Angeles Locomotives

Fullback

  • Sammy Pitts, Milwaukee Hawks

 

FINAL STANDINGS

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
Team W L T PF PA
Chicago Wildcats 13 1 2 216 59
Philadelphia Hornets 13 2 2 260 89
Baltimore Browns 10 3 1 194 69
Milwaukee Hawks 10 4 0 157 123
Toronto Maple Leafs 8 4 0 166 63
New York Stars 8 5 0 135 68
Kansas City Steers 7 3 1 117 78
Los Angeles Locomotives 6 4 0 61 65
Buffalo Nickels 5 4 1 85 80
Hartford Bulls 5 5 0 94 100
Detroit Maroons 4 6 3 132 124
Cleveland Finches 4 6 2 79 94
Pittsburgh Pros 4 8 1 71 188
Brooklyn Barons 3 7 1 76 139
Boston Minutemen 3 9 1 107 160
Duluth Navigators 2 6 1 75 105
Akron Triangles 1 5 2 33 65
Gary Greys 1 3 0 25 71
Louisville Colts 0 4 0 0 121
Evansville Lions 0 5 0 9 82
Dayton Dusters 0 6 0 7 83
Fort Wayne Titans 0 7 0 16 89
Team W L T PF PA
Chicago Chiefs 10 4 0 166 82
Philadelphia Pilots 9 0 1 106 44
New York Gothams 8 6 1 208 116
Cleveland Foresters 4 1 0 82 54
Los Angeles Crusaders 4 10 0 110 169
Newark Knights 3 2 0 52 19
Brooklyn Dukes 1 3 0 29 60
Boston Brahmins 1 5 0 26 97
Youngstown Reapers 0 9 0 15 153

WEEKLY RESULTS

 AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 
 
Week Day Date Visitor   Home  
1 Sun 19-Sep Toronto Maple Leafs 16 Detroit Maroons 3
1 Sun 19-Sep Kansas City Steers 13 Milwaukee Hawks 20
1 Sun 19-Sep Fort Wayne Titans 0 Cleveland Finches 10
1 Sun 19-Sep Chicago Wildcats 13 Duluth Navigators 0
2 Sat 25-Sep Akron Triangles 0 Philadelphia Hornets 6
2 Sun 26-Sep Fort Wayne Titans 3 Pittsburgh Pros 10
2 Sun 26-Sep Gary Greys 14 Evansville Lions 9
2 Sun 26-Sep New York Stars 14 Hartford Bulls 16
2 Sun 26-Sep Brooklyn Barons 16 Boston Minutemen 16
2 Sun 26-Sep Chicago Wildcats 20 Detroit Maroons 7
2 Sun 26-Sep Akron Triangles 7 Buffalo Nickels 7
2 Sun 26-Sep Toronto Maple Leafs 16 Duluth Navigators 0
2 Sun 26-Sep Los Angeles Locomotives 6 Cleveland Finches 3
3 Sat 2-Oct Hartford Bulls 0 Philadelphia Hornets 20
3 Sun 3-Oct Los Angeles Locomotives 3 Duluth Navigators 13
3 Sun 3-Oct Louisville Colts 0 Pittsburgh Pros 6
3 Sun 3-Oct Dayton Dusters 0 Buffalo Nickels 14
3 Sun 3-Oct New York Stars 14 Boston Minutemen 0
3 Sun 3-Oct Milwaukee Hawks 14 Detroit Maroons 6
3 Sun 3-Oct Fort Wayne Titans 0 Baltimore Browns 13
3 Sun 3-Oct Evansville Lions 0 Cleveland Finches 17
3 Sun 3-Oct Chicago Wildcats 10 Toronto Maple Leafs 13
3 Sun 3-Oct Gary Greys 2 Akron Triangles 14
3 Sun 3-Oct Philadelphia Hornets 17 Hartford Bulls 7
4 Sat 9-Oct Buffalo Nickels 0 Philadelphia Hornets 17
4 Sun 10-Oct Dayton Dusters 0 Baltimore Browns 21
4 Sun 10-Oct Hartford Bulls 21 Brooklyn Barons 13
4 Sun 10-Oct Milwaukee Hawks 20 Gary Greys 6
4 Sun 10-Oct Fort Wayne Titans 0 Boston Minutemen 17
4 Sun 10-Oct Duluth Navigators 28 Evansville Lions 0
4 Sun 10-Oct Cleveland Finches 0 Detroit Maroons 7
4 Sun 10-Oct New York Stars 0 Chicago Wildcats 6
4 Sun 10-Oct Kansas City Steers 17 Toronto Maple Leafs 3
4 Sun 10-Oct Pittsburgh Pros 6 Akron Triangles 6
5 Sat 16-Oct Baltimore Browns 0 Brooklyn Barons 3
5 Sat 16-Oct New York Stars 7 Philadelphia Hornets 10
5 Sat 16-Oct Kansas City Steers 10 Fort Wayne Titans 6
5 Sun 17-Oct Milwaukee Hawks 17 Evansville Lions 0
5 Sun 17-Oct Los Angeles Locomotives 10 Pittsburgh Pros 7
5 Sun 17-Oct Brooklyn Barons 0 Baltimore Browns 27
5 Sun 17-Oct Buffalo Nickels 12 Dayton Dusters 7
5 Sun 17-Oct Louisville Colts 0 Toronto Maple Leafs 41
5 Sun 17-Oct Duluth Navigators 10 Detroit Maroons 24
5 Sun 17-Oct Chicago Wildcats 6 Cleveland Finches 3
5 Sun 17-Oct Philadelphia Hornets 3 New York Stars 6
6 Sat 23-Oct Fort Wayne Titans 7 Brooklyn Barons 14
6 Sat 23-Oct Pittsburgh Pros 0 Philadelphia Hornets 34
6 Sun 24-Oct Baltimore Browns 14 Boston Minutemen 3
6 Sun 24-Oct Kansas City Steers 16 New York Stars 13
6 Sun 24-Oct Los Angeles Locomotives 13 Buffalo Nickels 10
6 Sun 24-Oct Akron Triangles 0 Toronto Maple Leafs 17
6 Sun 24-Oct Milwaukee Hawks 0 Chicago Wildcats 9
6 Sun 24-Oct Brooklyn Barons 0 Hartford Bulls 14
6 Sun 24-Oct Evansville Lions 0 Detroit Maroons 6
6 Sun 24-Oct Cleveland Finches 19 Duluth Navigators 14
7 Sat 30-Oct Boston Minutemen 14 Philadelphia Hornets 20
7 Sun 31-Oct Kansas City Steers 9 Hartford Bulls 6
7 Sun 31-Oct Pittsburgh Pros 0 Toronto Maple Leafs 24
7 Sun 31-Oct Buffalo Nickels 0 Baltimore Browns 9
7 Sun 31-Oct Akron Triangles 0 Chicago Wildcats 6
7 Sun 31-Oct Milwaukee Hawks 9 Duluth Navigators 3
7 Sun 31-Oct Detroit Maroons 10 Cleveland Finches 10
7 Sun 31-Oct Philadelphia Hornets 13 Boston Minutemen 14
7 Tue 2-Nov Pittsburgh Pros 3 New York Stars 21
8 Sat 6-Nov Cleveland Finches 0 Philadelphia Hornets 17
8 Sun 7-Nov Los Angeles Locomotives 13 Boston Minutemen 6
8 Sun 7-Nov Kansas City Steers 13 Brooklyn Barons 0
8 Sun 7-Nov Fort Wayne Titans 0 Buffalo Nickels 15
8 Sun 7-Nov Akron Triangles 0 Baltimore Browns 14
8 Sun 7-Nov Milwaukee Hawks 10 Toronto Maple Leafs 7
8 Sun 7-Nov Louisville Colts 0 Chicago Wildcats 37
8 Sun 7-Nov Detroit Maroons 7 Duluth Navigators 7
8 Sun 7-Nov Pittsburgh Pros 3 Hartford Bulls 17
8 Sun 7-Nov Cleveland Finches 7 New York Stars 0
9 Thu 11-Nov Los Angeles Locomotives 0 Baltimore Browns 7
9 Thu 11-Nov Milwaukee Hawks 0 New York Stars 20
9 Thu 11-Nov Cleveland Finches 7 Chicago Wildcats 14
9 Thu 11-Nov Pittsburgh Pros 9 Boston Minutemen 17
9 Sat 13-Nov Milwaukee Hawks 7 Philadelphia Hornets 14
9 Sun 14-Nov Dayton Dusters 0 Toronto Maple Leafs 13
9 Sun 14-Nov Los Angeles Locomotives 0 New York Stars 3
9 Sun 14-Nov Kansas City Steers 10 Boston Minutemen 7
9 Sun 14-Nov Buffalo Nickels 14 Hartford Bulls 3
9 Sun 14-Nov Pittsburgh Pros 14 Brooklyn Barons 13
9 Sun 14-Nov Louisville Colts 0 Detroit Maroons 37
9 Sun 14-Nov Duluth Navigators 0 Chicago Wildcats 14
9 Sun 14-Nov Milwaukee Hawks 16 Baltimore Browns 13
10 Sat 20-Nov Dayton Dusters 0 Philadelphia Hornets 13
10 Sun 21-Nov Gary Greys 3 Baltimore Browns 28
10 Sun 21-Nov Dayton Dusters 0 Hartford Bulls 10
10 Sun 21-Nov Los Angeles Locomotives 3 Brooklyn Barons 10
10 Sun 21-Nov Kansas City Steers 7 Buffalo Nickels 10
10 Sun 21-Nov Milwaukee Hawks 20 Pittsburgh Pros 6
10 Sun 21-Nov Detroit Maroons 6 Chicago Wildcats 6
10 Sun 21-Nov Boston Minutemen 0 New York Stars 13
11 Thu 25-Nov Akron Triangles 6 Pittsburgh Pros 7
11 Thu 25-Nov New York Stars 17 Brooklyn Barons 7
11 Thu 25-Nov Los Angeles Locomotives 3 Toronto Maple Leafs 0
11 Thu 25-Nov Boston Minutemen 0 Baltimore Browns 7
11 Thu 25-Nov Cleveland Finches 0 Chicago Wildcats 17
11 Thu 25-Nov Detroit Maroons 3 Philadelphia Hornets 14
11 Sat 27-Nov Toronto Maple Leafs 3 Philadelphia Hornets 17
11 Sat 27-Nov Milwaukee Hawks 10 Hartford Bulls 0
11 Sun 28-Nov Buffalo Nickels 3 Baltimore Browns 17
11 Sun 28-Nov Brooklyn Lions 0 New York Giants 7
11 Sun 28-Nov Green Bay Packers 3 Detroit Panthers 13
11 Sun 28-Nov Kansas City Cowboys 3 Chicago Cardinals 3
11 Sun 28-Nov Duluth Eskimos 14 Providence Steam Roller 13
11 Sun 28-Nov Canton Bulldogs 0 Chicago Bears 17
12 Sat 4-Dec Chicago Bears 7 Frankford Yellow Jackets 7
12 Sun 5-Dec Los Angeles Buccaneers 10 Kansas City Cowboys 6
13 Sat 11-Dec Providence Steam Roller 0 Frankford Yellow Jackets 17
13 Sun 12-Dec Duluth Eskimos 0 Kansas City Cowboys 13
13 Sun 12-Dec Pottsville Maroons 3 Chicago Bears 20
14 Sat 18-Dec Pottsville Maroons 21 Frankford Yellow Jackets 21
14 Sun 19-Dec Green Bay Packers 13 Chicago Bears 14
 
Week Date Visitor   Home  
1 26-Sep New York Gothams 16 Cleveland Foresters 21
1 26-Sep Chicago Chiefs 6 Newark Knights 13
1 26-Sep Los Angeles Crusaders 17 Youngstown Reapers 0
2 2-Oct Chicago Chiefs 0 Philadelphia Pilots 14
2 3-Oct Chicago Chiefs 23 Brooklyn Dukes 6
2 3-Oct Los Angeles Crusaders 6 Cleveland Foresters 21
2 3-Oct Boston Brahmins 0 Newark Knights 13
2 3-Oct New York Gothams 17 Youngstown Reapers 6
3 9-Oct New York Gothams 23 Boston Brahmins 7
3 9-Oct Los Angeles Crusaders 7 Philadelphia Pilots 13
3 10-Oct Los Angeles Crusaders 14 Brooklyn Dukes 3
3 10-Oct Chicago Chiefs 6 Youngstown Reapers 0
4 16-Oct Los Angeles Crusaders 3 Boston Brahmins 10
4 16-Oct Newark Knights 3 Philadelphia Pilots 6
4 17-Oct Boston Brahmins 9 Brooklyn Dukes 17
4 17-Oct New York Gothams 3 Chicago Chiefs 10
4 17-Oct Youngstown Reapers 9 Cleveland Foresters 17
4 17-Oct Los Angeles Crusaders 7 Newark Knights 6
5 23-Oct Youngstown Reapers 0 Philadelphia Pilots 17
5 24-Oct Cleveland Foresters 6 Chicago Chiefs 10
5 24-Oct Youngstown Reapers 0 Newark Knights 17
5 24-Oct Los Angeles Crusaders 3 New York Gothams 21
6 30-Oct New York Gothams 6 Philadelphia Pilots 10
6 31-Oct Boston Brahmins 0 Chicago Chiefs 24
6 31-Oct Los Angeles Crusaders 13 Cleveland Foresters 17
6 2-Nov Youngstown Reapers 0 New York Gothams 31
7 6-Nov Youngstown Reapers 0 Philadelphia Pilots 10
7 7-Nov Los Angeles Crusaders 3 Chicago Chiefs 10
7 7-Nov Brooklyn Dukes 3 New York Gothams 14
7 8-Nov Los Angeles Crusaders 16 New York Gothams 14
8 14-Nov Philadelphia Pilots 14 Chicago Chiefs 10
8 14-Nov Boston Brahmins 0 New York Gothams 17
9 20-Nov Los Angeles Crusaders 9 Philadelphia Pilots 12
9 21-Nov Youngstown Reapers 0 Chicago Chiefs 21
9 21-Nov Los Angeles Crusaders 9 New York Gothams 17
10 25-Nov Los Angeles Crusaders 3 Chicago Chiefs 15
10 25-Nov Philadelphia Pilots 3 New York Gothams 3
10 27-Nov New York Gothams 6 Philadelphia Pilots 7
10 28-Nov Chicago Chiefs 14 New York Gothams 17
11 5-Dec Los Angeles Crusaders 0 Chicago Chiefs 10
12 12-Dec New York Gothams 3 Chicago Chiefs 7