AFC, NFC championship game: How much does home field advantage matter? Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAYJanuary 25, 2026 at 5:07 AM 0 AFC, NFC championship game: How much does home field advantage matter? There are just three games left in the 2025 NFL season. The AFC and NFC conference championship games will decide who faces off in Super Bowl 60 for a Lombardi Trophy. Both conferences saw their top seeds advance to the divisional round and into the final four teams in playoff contention. In the AFC, topseeded Denver held on for a win over Buffalo; in the NFC, No.
- - AFC, NFC championship game: How much does home field advantage matter?
Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAYJanuary 25, 2026 at 5:07 AM
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AFC, NFC championship game: How much does home field advantage matter?
There are just three games left in the 2025 NFL season. The AFC and NFC conference championship games will decide who faces off in Super Bowl 60 for a Lombardi Trophy.
Both conferences saw their top seeds advance to the divisional round and into the final four teams in playoff contention. In the AFC, top-seeded Denver held on for a win over Buffalo; in the NFC, No. 1 seed Seattle ran over San Francisco in a dominant win.
Advancing with the top seed means both will host their respective championship games. Denver welcomes the No. 2 seed New England Patriots to Mile High and Seattle hosts the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field for a second time this season.
Home-field advantage is the reward teams receive for winning their division and finishing with one of the best records in their conference. When it gets down to the penultimate round of the postseason, one more home game could make a big difference.
But how big a difference does it make? We looked back to see how home teams have fared in their championship games since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 (the merger rebranded AFL and NFL title games as the AFC and NFC championship games).
Here's what the history shows:
makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
">Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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1 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
NFL conference championship home team records
Starting in the 1970 season, there have been 55 championship games in each conference. Home teams have enjoyed similar success across both conferences, especially in recent history.
In the AFC, home-field advantage has ebbed and flowed. In the 1970s and 1980s, road teams won just five out of 20 conference championship games. That turned slightly in the 1990s and 2000s, with eight road wins in those two decades, before home teams holding a decisive advantage in the 2010s and 2020s.
Overall, home teams are 39-16 in AFC championship games. The 2021 Cincinnati Bengals are the most recent road team to win the AFC title game.
In the NFC, things started out similarly successful for home teams in the early years. Road teams won just six NFC title games in the 1970s and 1980s combined. That went up slightly in the 1990s and 2000s with seven road winners. The NFC's seen a bit more variety in the 2010s and 2020s, though, with five road victors in that span.
Overall, home teams are 37-18 in the NFC championship game. The most recent road winner was the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
How likely are home teams to win NFL conference championship games?
Combining the records together, home teams are 76-34 in the conference championship game. That translates to a 0.69 winning percentage since the merger.
That advantage has become even more profound in recent years. Since 2010, home teams are 22-8, a 0.73 winning percentage. Best of luck to those betting on a Rams-Patriots matchup in Super Bowl 60, as history is not on your side.
When have road teams swept NFL conference championship games?
Road teams have swept the conference championship games just four times in the last 55 years:
1992: AFC: Buffalo defeated Miami; NFC: Dallas defeated San Francisco
1997: AFC: Denver defeated Pittsburgh; NFC: Green Bay defeated San Francisco
2012: AFC: Baltimore defeated New England; NFC: San Francisco defeated Atlanta
2018: AFC: New England defeated Kansas City; NFC: Los Angeles Rams defeated New Orleans
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AFC, NFC championship game records for teams with home field advantage
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Source: Sports
Published: January 25, 2026 at 12:27PM on Source: RED MAG
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