Upon the completion of the merger of the AFL and NFL in 1970, the newly minted American Football Conference had already agreed upon their divisional setup along mostly geographical lines for the 1970 season; the National Football Conference, however, could not agree upon their setup, and one was chosen from a fishbowl on January 16, 1970.
əpˌɑːn ðə kəmplˈiːʃən ʌvðə mˈɜːdʒɚɹ ʌvðɪ ˌeɪˌɛfˈɛl ænd ˌɛnˌɛfˈɛl ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti, ðə nˈuːli mˈɪntᵻd ɐmˈɛɹɪkən fˈʊtbɔːl kˈɑːnfɹəns hæd ɔːlɹˌɛdi ɐɡɹˈiːd əpˌɑːn ðɛɹ dᵻvˈɪʒənəl sˈɛɾʌp ɐlˈɔŋ mˈoʊstli dʒˌɪəɡɹˈæfɪkəl lˈaɪnz fɚðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti sˈiːzən; ðə nˈæʃənəl fˈʊtbɔːl kˈɑːnfɹəns, haʊˈɛvɚ, kʊd nˌɑːt ɐɡɹˈiː əpˌɑːn ðɛɹ sˈɛɾʌp, ænd wˈʌn wʌz tʃˈoʊzən fɹʌm ɐ fˈɪʃboʊl ˌɔn dʒˈænjuːˌɛɹi sˈɪkstiːn, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti.