Tackling The Problem: The NFL-AFL Merger, 1966-1970
About the Committee:
“If you can’t beat them, join them:” that is precisely what the American Football League (AFL) did in the summer of 1966, joining forces with their historic rival, the National Football League (NFL) to form the NFL we know and love today. This committee will see the executives of the teams of the AFL and NFL coming together after years of fierce rivalry to merge their leagues, facing challenges from congressional committees, backroom dealing with TV executives, and hordes of passionate fans, all while managing their own teams. Will this new league rise to the top spot of American sport? Or will it flop, leaving the world of gridiron football in shambles? Find out in “Tackling The Problem: The NFL–AFL Merger, 1966–1970”!
A LETTER FROM THE DaiS:
Delegates,
We are thrilled to have you as a part of our committee at MUNUM XL!!! We hope you have the best time on our beautiful campus and at MUNUM as a whole, and are so excited to run a committee with you as a delegate! First, let us introduce ourselves.
To begin, my name is Zach Yost, and I am one of your co-directors for Tackling The Problem. I am a sophomore here at the University of Michigan, with a dual major in Philosophy and Political Science through the Honors Program. Apart from MUNUM, I am the recruitment chair of the Phi Delta Phi Pre-Law Fraternity and Honor Society (it is co-ed, despite the name!) and also hold a position as a research editor on the Michigan Undergraduate Law Review. In my free time, you can find me playing video games with my friends, reading, or of course, watching football! I am especially interested in political theory, philosophy, and the Supreme Court, so if you ever have any questions about those, feel free to ask. I hope all of you have a wonderful conference this year, and thank you for coming to MUNUM!
My name is Frankie Lape, and I am one of your co-directors for Tackling The Problem. I am a sophomore majoring in Political Science, with dual minors in Human Centered Artificial Intelligence and Quantitative Methods. Besides MUNUM, I am the Vice-President of Dream for America, a coach for my former high school’s We the People team, an analyst for Ross Mergers and Acquisitions group, and a member of the UMich Club Lacrosse team. In my free time, you can find me hanging out with friends, watching sports (especially lacrosse and football), and reading. I find the topics of business, AI, and constitutional law fascinating, so feel free to chat with me if you have any questions. I hope each and every one of you has an amazing conference this year, and I am so very excited for this committee.
My name is Gabe Miller, and I will be your assistant director this year. I am a junior majoring in History and pursuing a minor in Quantitative Methods. Outside of MUNUM, I am both a writer and editor for the sports section of the Michigan Daily, hence why I am especially excited for this topic. Outside of school activities, I like to spend time with my friends, hike, read when I’m motivated to, and play video games. I find all topics in history pretty fascinating, so I am excited to delve deeper into the history of the NFL with you all this year.
If you have any questions regarding the committee, the University, or anything else, please feel free to contact us at zdyost@umich.edu, flape@umich.edu, and gabetm@umich.edu.