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Current Major and Notable Leagues

League	Sport	Franchises	First Season	Notes
Canadian Football League	Canadian football	Nine	1981	Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and Western Interprovincial Football Union created umbrella Canadian Football Council within the Canadian Rugby Union in 1956 which evolved into the Canadian Football League after leaving the Canadian Rugby Union in 1958. The two leagues, by then named the Eastern Football Conference and Western Football Conference formally merged in 1981.
Major Arena Soccer League	Indoor association football	13	2008-09	Named Professional Arena Soccer League until 2014-15.
Major League Baseball	Baseball	30	2000	American League and National League and American Association (returning to simply the National League in 1904) began cooperating under the National Agreement in 1903. The leagues each submitted to the authority of the new Office of the Commissioner of Baseball in 1920 and the overarching name of Major League Baseball entered into use for the 1969 season. The two leagues formally merged in 2000.
Major League Cricket	Twenty20 cricket	Six	2023	Plays at only a couple venues; teams do not play in home markets.
Major League Rugby	Rugby union	12	2018
Major League Soccer	Association football	30	1996	30th team beginning play in 2025.
National Basketball Association	Basketball	30	1949-50	Formed by merger of the Basketball Association of America and National Basketball League.
National Football League	American football	32	1920	Named American Professional Football Conference initially but renamed American Professional Football Association prior to commencing play in 1920. Briefly renamed National-American Football League in 1950-51 but returned simply to National Football League prior to commencing play.
National Hockey League	Ice hockey	32	1917-18	Superseded National Hockey Association of Canada. League did not play 2004-05 season. 33rd team pending for beginning play in 2029-30 or earlier.
National Lacrosse League	Box lacrosse	15	1998	Absorbed its predecessor Major Indoor Lacrosse League prior to commencing play. League did not play 2020-21 season.
National Women's Soccer League	Women's association football	15	2013	15th team beginning play in 2026.
PBR Camping World Team Series	Bull riding	10	2022	Touring model.
Premier Lacrosse League	Field lacrosse	Eight	2019	Touring model.
Pro Volleyball Federation	Women's indoor volleyball	10	2024
Professional Women's Hockey League	Women's ice hockey	Six	2024	Absorbed its predecessor Premier Hockey Federation but does not recognize or claim its history.
United Football League	American football	8	2024	United States Football League and XFL merged.
Women's National Basketball Association	Women's basketball	13	1997	13th team beginning play in 2025.

Defunct Major and Notable Leagues

League	Sport	First Season	Last Season	Notes
National Association	Baseball	1871	1875	Superseded by National League.
National League	Baseball	1876	1999	Superseded National Association. Renamed National League and American Association in 1892. Returned to National League in 1904. Merged with American League as Major League Baseball in 2000.
American Association	Baseball	1882	1891	Merged into National League as National League and American Association in 1892.
Union Association	Baseball	1884	1884	Merged into National League in 1885.
Players' National League	Baseball	1890	1890	Merged into American Association in 1891.
American League	Baseball	1901	1999	Merged with National League as Major League Baseball in 2000.
National Football League	American football	1902	1902
Eastern Football Conference	Canadian football	1907	1980	Named Interprovincial Rugby Football Union until 1960. League did not play 1916-1918 seasons. League did not play 1941-1944 seasons. Merged with Western Football Conference as Canadian Football League in 1981.
Canadian Hockey Association	Ice hockey	1909-10	1909-10	Merged into National Hockey Association of Canada mid-season 1909-10.
National Hockey Association of Canada	Ice hockey	1910	1916-17	Absorbed Canadian Hockey Association mid-season 1910. Superseded by National Hockey League.
Pacific Coast Hockey Association	Ice hockey	1912	1923-24	Merged into Western Canada Hockey League in 1924-25.
Federal League	Baseball	1914	1915	Merged into National League in 1916.
Negro National League	Negro baseball	1920	1931
Western Hockey League	Ice hockey	1921-22	1925-26	Named Western Canada Hockey League until 1925-26.
Mutual Association of Eastern Colored Clubs	Negro baseball	1923	1928
American Basketball League	Basketball	1925-26	1930-31
American Football League	American football	1926	1926
American Negro League	Baseball	1929	1929
American Hockey League	Ice hockey	1930	1932
International Professional Lacrosse League	Box lacrosse	1931	1932
American Box Lacrosse League	Outdoor box lacrosse	1932	1932
East-West League	Negro baseball	1932	1932
Negro Southern League	Negro baseball	1932	1932
Negro National League	Negro baseball	1933	1948
American Basketball League	Basketball	1933-34	1952-53
National Basketball League	Basketball	1935-36	1948-49	Named Midwest Basketball Conference until 1935-36. Merged with Basketball Association of America as National Basketball Association in 1949-50.
American Football League	American football	1936	1937
Western Football Conference	Canadian football	1936	1980	Named Western Interprovincial Football Union until 1961. League did not play 1942-1944 seasons. Merged with Eastern Football Conference as Canadian Football League in 1981.
Negro American League	Negro baseball	1937	1948
American Football League	American football	1940	1941
Eastern Rugby Football Union	Canadian football	1941	1941
American Girls Baseball League	Women's softball/baseball	1943	1954	Named All-American Girls Softball League until mid-season 1943. Named All-American Girls Baseball League until 1944. Named All-American Girls Professional Baseball League until 1946. Named All-American Girls Baseball League until 1951.
All-America Football Conference	American football	1946	1949	Merged into National Football League as National-American Football League in 1950-51.
Basketball Association of America	Basketball	1946-47	1948-49	Merged with National Basketball League as National Basketball Association in 1949-50.
Professional Basketball League of America	Basketball	1947-48	1947-48
National Professional Basketball League	Basketball	1950-51	1950-51
American Football League	American football	1960-61	1969-70	Merged into National Football League.
American Basketball League	Basketball	1961-62	1962-63
American Basketball Association	Basketball	1967-68	1975-76	Merged into National Basketball Association in 1976-77.
National Professional Soccer League	Association football	1967	1967	Merged with United Soccer Association as North American Soccer League in 1968.
United Soccer Association	Association football	1967	1967	Merged with National Professional Soccer League as North American Soccer League in 1968.
National Lacrosse Association	Box lacrosse	1968	1968
North American Soccer League	Association football Indoor association football	1968	1984	Formed by merger of National Professional Soccer League and United Soccer Association. Indoor season played formally 1979-80, did not play 1982-83, folded after 1983-84.
World Hockey Association	Ice hockey	1972-73	1978-79	Merged into National Hockey League in 1979-80.
National Lacrosse League	Box lacrosse	1974	1975
World Football League	American football	1974	1975
Major Soccer League	Indoor association football	1978-79	1991-92	Named Major Indoor Soccer League until 1990-91.
Women's Pro Basketball League	Women's basketball	1978-79	1980-81
United States Football League	American football	1983	1985
National Professional Soccer League	Indoor association football	1984-85	2000-01	Named American Indoor Soccer Association until 1990-91.
Major Indoor Lacrosse League	Box lacrosse	1987	1997	Named Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League until 1989. Merged into successor National Lacrosse League in 1998.
American Lacrosse League	Field lacrosse	1988	1988
NFL Europa	American football	1991	2007	Named World League of American Football until 1992. League did not play 1993-1994 seasons. Named World League until 1998. Named NFL Europe League until 2007.
Continental Indoor Soccer League	Indoor association football	1993	1997
American Basketball League	Women's basketball	1996-97	1998-99
World Indoor Soccer League	Indoor association football	1998	2001	Named Premier Soccer Alliance until 1999.
Major League Lacrosse	Field lacrosse	2001	2020	Merged into Premier Lacrosse League in 2021.
Women's United Soccer Association	Women's association football	2001	2003
XFL	American football	2001	2001
Major Indoor Soccer League	Indoor association football	2001-02	2007-08
Major Indoor Soccer League	Indoor association football	2008-09	2013-14	Named National Indoor Soccer League until 2009-10.
Xtreme Soccer League	Indoor association football	2008-09	2008-09
United Football League	American football	2009	2012
Women's Professional Soccer	Women's association football	2009	2011
Premier Hockey Federation	Women's ice hockey	2015-16	2022-23	Named National Women's Hockey League until 2021-22. Merged into successor Professional Women's Hockey League in 2024 but without its teams or history recognized.
Alliance of American Football	American football	2019	2019
XFL	American football	2020	2023	League did not play 2021-2022 seasons. Merged with United States Football League as United Football League in 2024.
United States Football League	American football	2022	2023	Merged with XFL as United Football League in 2024.