 With the completion of the merger in 1970, the Cleveland Browns were moved to the AFL-based American Football Conference.Unexpected victories for AFL teams in Super Bowls III and IV had persuaded NFL owners, starting with Art Modell, to re-consider the question of divisional alignments and ultimately led to the Browns and Bengals both being placed in the AFC Central.An instant rivalry was born, fueled initially by Paul Brown's rivalry with Modell.