NFL Scheduling Alignment 2002-2009

Starting in 2002, when the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 8 divisions within the 2 conferences, the scheduling for each team was definitized by the following arrangement:

6 divisional games (3 home and 3 away)
4 games against another division within the conference on a rotational basis (2 home and 2 away) such that they will play each team within that division at a minimum of once every 3 years. Furthermore, they are gauranteed to play that team at home at least once every 6 years.
4 games against another division in the other conference on a rotational basis (2 home and 2 away) such that they will play each team within that division once every 4 years. Furthermore, they are gauranteed to play that team at home at least once every 8 years.
2 games against teams in the same conference with the same previous season finish and who are not already on the schedule by the above rules (1 home and 1 away).

Division versus Division Scheduling

	American Football Conference				National Football Conference
	East	North	South	West	East	North	South	West

East	X	2004 2007	2003 2006 2009	2002 2005 2008	2003 2007	2002 2006	2005 2009	2004 2008
North	2004 2007	X	2002 2005 2008	2003 2006 2009	2004 2008	2005 2009	2002 2006	2003 2007
South	2003 2006 2009	2002 2005 2008	X	2004 2007	2002 2006	2004 2008	2003 2007	2005 2009
West	2002 2005 2008	2003 2006 2009	2004 2007	X	2005 2009	2003 2007	2004 2008	2002 2006

East	2003 2007	2004 2008	2002 2006	2005 2009	X	2004 2007	2003 2006 2009	2002 2005 2008
North	2002 2006	2005 2009	2004 2008	2003 2007	2004 2007	X	2002 2005 2008	2003 2006 2009
South	2005 2009	2002 2006	2003 2007	2004 2008	2003 2006 2009	2002 2005 2008	X	2004 2007
West	2004 2008	2003 2007	2005 2009	2002 2006	2002 2005 2008	2003 2006 2009	2004 2007	X

Previous Year Finish Scheduling

	East	North	South	West
East	X	2002H 2003H 2005A 2006A 2008H 2009H	2002A 2004H 2005H 2007A 2008A	2003A 2004A 2006H 2007H 2009A
North	2002A 2003A 2005H 2006H 2008A 2009A	X	2003H 2004A 2006A 2007H 2009H	2002H 2004H 2005A 2007A 2008H
South	2002H 2004A 2005A 2007H 2008H	2003A 2004H 2006H 2007A 2009A	X	2002A 2003H 2005H 2006A 2008A 2009H
West	2003H 2004H 2006A 2007A 2009H	2002A 2004A 2005H 2007H 2008A	2002H 2003A 2005A 2006H 2008H 2009A	X

Legend:
A:  Away
H:  Home