East Division (AFL)

The East Division was a division of the Arena Football League's American Conference. It was first formed in 1995 as part of the National Conference when expansion led to the creation of divisions.

Since the division's enfranchisement in 1995, as the Eastern Division of the National Conference, the division sent representatives to five ArenaBowls (most recently the Philadelphia Soul in 2013's ArenaBowl XXVI), with two wins (most recently the Philadelphia Soul in 2008's ArenaBowl XXII).

Division lineups
1995–1996
 * Albany Firebirds
 * Charlotte Rage
 * Connecticut Coyotes

Eastern Division in the National Conference. Albany moved in from American Conference. Connecticut Coyotes enfranchised.

1997 Charlotte and Connecticut folded. Nashville, New Jersey, and New York are enfranchised.
 * Albany Firebirds (from American Conference)
 * Nashville Kats
 * New Jersey Red Dogs
 * New York Cityhawks

1998 Nashville moved to National Conference's Southern Division.
 * Albany Firebirds
 * New Jersey Red Dogs
 * New York Cityhawks

1999–2000 Buffalo Destroyers enfranchised. New York moved to Hartford, Connecticut as New England Sea Wolves.
 * Albany Firebirds
 * Buffalo Destroyers
 * New England Sea Wolves
 * New Jersey Red Dogs

2001 As Indiana Firebirds, Albany moved to Indianapolis, Indiana as part of the American Conference's Central Division. Carolina moved in from Southern Division. Iowa Barnstormers moved to Uniondale, New York as New York Dragons. New England moved to Toronto as the Phantoms. New Jersey Red Dogs renamed the Gladiators.
 * Buffalo Destroyers
 * Carolina Cobras
 * New Jersey Gladiators
 * New York Dragons
 * Toronto Phantoms

2002 Carolina moved back to Southern Division.
 * Buffalo Destroyers
 * New Jersey Gladiators
 * New York Dragons
 * Toronto Phantoms

2003 Detroit moved in from Central Division. New Jersey moved to Las Vegas. Toronto Phantoms folded.
 * Buffalo Destroyers
 * Detroit Fury
 * Las Vegas Gladiators
 * New York Dragons

2004 Buffalo moved to Columbus, Ohio. Dallas moved in from Central Division. Detroit moved back to Central Division as well. Las Vegas moved to American Conference's Western Division. Philadelphia Soul enfranchised.
 * Carolina Cobras
 * Columbus Destroyers
 * Dallas Desperados
 * New York Dragons
 * Philadelphia Soul

2005–2007 Carolina Cobras folded.
 * Columbus Destroyers
 * Dallas Desperados
 * New York Dragons
 * Philadelphia Soul

2008 Las Vegas moved back from Western Division as Cleveland Gladiators. After the 2008 season, Columbus, Dallas, and New York folded while Philadelphia is suspended and the AFL is put on a one-year hiatus. Also, the Cleveland Gladiators joined the Central Division (now part of the National Conference) for the 2010 season when that division was known as the Midwest Division.
 * Cleveland Gladiators
 * Columbus Destroyers
 * Dallas Desperados
 * New York Dragons
 * Philadelphia Soul

2010 The Eastern Division moved to the American Conference as Southwest Division for this season. Dallas Vigilantes enfranchised while the other three teams come from the defunct af2.
 * Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings
 * Dallas Vigilantes
 * Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
 * Tulsa Talons

2011–2012 The Southwest Division changed its name back to Eastern Division. Bossier-Shreveport moved to New Orleans as the VooDoo. Cleveland Gladiators and Milwaukee Iron (renamed Mustangs) moved in from the Central Division (known as Midwest in 2010). Dallas and Tulsa moved to Central Division. Oklahoma City folded. Philadelphia Soul returned. Pittsburgh Power enfranchised.
 * Cleveland Gladiators
 * Milwaukee Mustangs
 * Philadelphia Soul
 * Pittsburgh Power

2013 Milwaukee Mustangs suspended operations.
 * Cleveland Gladiators
 * Philadelphia Soul
 * Pittsburgh Power

2014 Iowa joined the East Division after the League's expansion into Los Angeles and Portland, and the removal of the Utah Blaze and Chicago Rush.
 * Cleveland Gladiators
 * Iowa Barnstormers
 * Philadelphia Soul
 * Pittsburgh Power

2015 Iowa left to play in the Indoor Football League and Pittsburgh folded because of low attendance.
 * Cleveland Gladiators
 * New Orleans VooDoo
 * Philadelphia Soul

Due to the reduced number of participating teams, all AFL conferences and divisions were discontinued after the 2015 season.

Division champions

 * † – Despite winning the division in 2004, the New York Dragons failed to qualify for the playoffs.