The NFC South is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It was created prior to the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams.
The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to the 2002 season, the Buccaneers belonged to the AFC West (1976) and NFC Central (1977-2001), while the other three teams were part of the geographically inaccurate-in-name NFC West.
The NFC South division has at times, notably on FOX NFL Sunday been nicknamed the "NASCAR Division," due to its geographic location in traditional NASCAR Country. Incidentally, Fox also has a contract with NASCAR.
Until the 2007-08 playoffs, a team from the NFC South had appeared in every NFC Championship Game since the 2002 realignment: Tampa Bay (2002), Carolina (2003 & 2005), Atlanta (2004), and New Orleans (2006). The NFC South is also the first division since the realignment that has had each team in the division make at least one NFC Championship Game appearance.
From 2003 to 2007, the team that finished in last place in the division year has, the next season, finished in first place. Carolina finished last in 2002, and first in 2003. Atlanta finished last in 2003, and first in 2004. Tampa Bay finished last in 2004, and first in 2005. New Orleans finished last in 2005, and finished first in 2006. Tampa Bay, who finished last in 2006, finished first in 2007. If the trend continues in 2008, it would be Atlanta Falcons.
