History of American football in Norway
American football began in Norway in 1949 when two Oslo high schools, Riis and Ullern, started an annual game after a meeting on October 30. An Associated Press report from Oslo said about 500 people watched and credited Alf Stenere, a Norwegian exchange student to Bowdoin College, and Tony Bower, a 17-year-old from Kansas City, with bringing the sport. Riis won the first game, 20–13.
In 1983, the Norwegian American Football Federation (NAFF) was founded and the Norwegian national team began. Their first international game was in Stockholm, where Norway won 38–0. Dagbladet reported the game on January 28, 1985. Norway then won the first Scandinavian Cup in Stockholm, which included Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Saga reported the Cup on September 19, 1985.
On May 9, 1986, Norway beat the Coventry Bears of the British league in England. Norway’s first loss came when St. Olaf College from Minnesota visited Oslo in 1986, losing 65–0. The team then played St. Olaf in Minnesota and again lost 65–0; the visitors chose not to run up the score. The News in Northfield, Minnesota, covered the game on July 21, 1988. St. Olaf later arranged a visit to the Minnesota Vikings training camp.
In 2010, NAFF merged with several groups to form the Norwegian Federation of American Sports (NAIF). NAIF oversees American football, flag football, cheerleading, lacrosse, and disc sports, and is part of the Norwegian Olympic Committee.
Today, men’s senior American football in Norway has three levels. New teams usually start in Division II and can move to Division I, and Division I teams can be promoted to Eliteserien based on performance. There is no single standard promotion or relegation system; placement depends on talent, performance, finances, and overall organization.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 03:31 (CET).