This Sunday, Feb. 9, Super Bowl LIX will kick off in New Orleans, pitting the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs against the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
And while you might be in charge of the buffalo chicken dip or chicken wings this year, here’s a fun fact to you can also bring to your watch party: Louisville once had a team in the National Football League (NFL).
The Louisville Brecks competed in the NFL for three seasons, from 1921 to 1923. Here’s some quick facts:
- The Brecks played their home games at Eclipse Park until it burned down after a game in 1922. They then moved to Parkway Field.
- Officially named the Louisville Breckenridge Football Club, the team was originally known as the “Floyds and Brecks,” taking the name from an intersection near where they played.
- The Brecks’ schedule frequently featured NFL games, plus games against non-league opponents. They only won one NFL game in their three years, a 13-6 victory over the Evansville Crimson Giants in November 1922.
When the Brecks joined the league, the franchise fee was a mere $25 — that’s ~$415 in today’s money. Compare that to the estimated value of the two teams taking part in Sunday’s big game, according to CNBC:
- Philadelphia Eagles: $7 billion
- Kansas City Chiefs: $6.07 billion
The Brecks left the NFL after the 1923 season to join a local amateur league known as the Falls City Football Federation. The team folded after the 1924 season.
There was also a second “Louisville” team in the NFL. The Louisville Colonels competed in the 1926 NFL season, but never played a home game — the organization was based in Chicago and created as a “road team” to help fill out the schedules of the league’s other teams.
