Professional Football Researchers Association

What Professional Football Researchers Association does

The Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) is a private non-profit membership organization founded in 1979 and headquartered in Guilford, United States, dedicated to preserving and researching professional football history. The organization serves pro football historians, researchers, retired players, authors, and enthusiast-collectors through a portfolio of products and services anchored by The Coffin Corner newsletter (published continuously since 1979, now bimonthly at 32 pages), the Hall of Very Good recognition program (established 2002, with 33 members later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame), the Biography Committee research project (662+ player biographies published), and a Great Teams book series published in partnership with McFarland Books. Members also gain access to proprietary historical data assets including 12,134+ gamebooks covering 1960-present and historical linescores, as well as voting rights in Hall of Very Good elections and access to the annual national convention held at locations including Canton, Pittsburgh, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Five regional chapters (Western New York, Great Plains, DC/Baltimore, Michigan, Philly) provide local engagement, and a podcast distributed via Sports History Network extends content reach.

PFRA operates a subscription-based membership revenue model with annual dues of $40 domestic, $45 Canada, and $55 international (effective 2026), supplemented by convention registration fees, T-shirt and merchandise sales, book royalties through McFarland, and a digital-only newsletter tier introduced in 2026. The organization grew from approximately 400 members in 2020 to over 400 by 2020's milestone, and has set an explicit target of reaching 1,000 members before its 50th anniversary. Distribution occurs primarily through direct website sales (profootballresearchers.org), annual conventions, regional chapter events, and McFarland's book distribution network. Strategic partners include Sports History Network (podcast distribution), McFarland Books (publishing), the Pro Football Hall of Fame (convention hosting and archival collaboration), and NFL Films (archival content). Leadership is provided by President George Bozeka, Executive Director Lee Elder (appointed 2022), and a board including Secretary David Burch, Podcast Co-host Jon Bozeka, Managing Editor Greg Tranter, and Webmaster Clay Acord. No external funding, parent organization, or institutional investors are disclosed; the organization is entirely membership-funded and governed by its board.

Name

Professional Football Researchers Association

Legal name

Professional Football Researchers Association

Website

https://profootballresearchers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) is a 1979-founded non-profit membership organization serving pro football historians, researchers, retired players, and authors through historical research publications, the Hall of Very Good, conventions, and proprietary archival data including 12,000+ gamebooks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Research Association

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAKAK

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

Keywords

• Pro football history
• Football research association
• Sports historiography research
• Football membership organization
• Professional football archives

Headquarters

HQ city

Guilford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to Coffin Corner newsletter, members-only content, convention attendance, and organizational benefits. Membership has grown to over 400 members.
2. Convention Fees: Registration fees for annual national conventions held at various locations (Pittsburgh, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Canton). Includes T-shirt sales, tour add-ons, and special events.
3. Book Sales: Sale of PFRA publications including the Great Teams book series published by McFarland Books (1964 Buffalo Bills, 1951 LA Rams, 1958 Baltimore Colts, 1966 Green Bay Packers, AAFC history).
4. Coffin Corner Publication: Bi-monthly newsletter (now 32 pages, expanded from 24) available in print or digital-only PDF format for members. Members receive 6 issues annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) is a membership-based non-profit organization that publishes The Coffin Corner bimonthly newsletter featuring historical articles and player biographies, produces books on professional football history through its Great Teams series, hosts an annual national convention, and operates the Hall of Very Good recognition program for deserving players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Members gain access to extensive archival resources including 12,134+ gamebooks, linescores, and a Biography Committee that has published 662+ pro football biographies.

Product overview

The Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) is a membership-based organization dedicated to pro football research and historiography. The organization operates a portfolio of products including The Coffin Corner newsletter (published monthly since 1979), the Great Teams book series published in partnership with McFarland, The Official PFRA Podcast distributed through Sports History Network, the Hall of Very Good recognition program, and the Biography Committee research project. Additional member resources include gamebooks and linescores databases, while the organization also hosts annual national conventions and supports regional chapters for member engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Coffin Corner PFRA's flagship bimonthly newsletter published continuously since 1979, featuring historical research articles, player biographies, team histories, and original research on professional football. Members receive six issues per year (32 pages as of 2026) in print or digital PDF format.
• Great Teams Book Series Published books on pro football history including the Great Teams series covering the 1964 Buffalo Bills, 1951 Los Angeles Rams, 1958 Baltimore Colts, 1966 Green Bay Packers, and the All-America Football Conference. Co-published with McFarland Books and distributed via Amazon and book retailers.
• The Official PFRA Podcast Audio podcast series co-hosted by Jon and George Bozeka featuring interviews with pro football historians, authors, former players, and NFL Films archivists. Distributed through the Sports History Network with 18 episodes produced as of early 2025. Named one of the 25 Best Sports History Network Podcasts by FeedSpot.
• Hall of Very Good A recognized secondary hall of fame honoring exceptional professional football players not yet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Annual inductees are selected through member voting. Has produced 33 members who were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• PFRA National Convention Annual national conventions featuring player panels, author presentations, museum tours, networking, and recognition events for pro football historians and researchers. Recent conventions have been held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Pittsburgh, and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
• PFRA Membership Annual membership offering providing access to The Coffin Corner newsletter, members-only content including gamebooks and linescores, convention attendance discounts, voting rights in Hall of Very Good elections, regional chapter access, and PFRA awards eligibility. Membership tiers at $40 domestic, $45 Canada, and $55 international as of 2026.
• PFRA Awards Program Annual awards program recognizing contributions to pro football research including the Ralph Hay Award (lifetime achievement), Nelson Ross Award (recent achievement), Bob Carroll Memorial Writing Award (best Coffin Corner article), and Jack Clary Award (service to organization).

Quantifiable outcome

• Hall of Very Good has produced 33 members who were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sports History NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Official PFRA Podcast is distributed through the Sports History Network, a platform for sports history content. This partnership provides podcast hosting and distribution, reaching audiences interested in sports history.
• McFarland BookscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFRA collaborates with McFarland Books to publish the Great Teams book series including The 1964 Buffalo Bills, The 1951 Los Angeles Rams, The 1958 Baltimore Colts, The 1966 Green Bay Packers, and The All-America Football Conference.
• Pro Football Hall of FamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFRA holds conventions at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Hall of Very Good is positioned as a secondary hall recognizing players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The organizations share archival and research interests.
• NFL FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChris Willis, Head Archivist at NFL Films, is a former PFRA Board member and award recipient who has appeared on the PFRA Podcast. NFL Films provides archival expertise and historical content collaboration.
• Pro Football Retired Players Association (PFRPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a colleague organization. Darrell Thompson, former Packers RB, serves as Chair of PFRPA Board and has appeared as a speaker at PFRA conventions. Joseph Agbasi, PFRPA Executive Director, has been interviewed on the PFRA Podcast.
• Gridiron Greats MagazineminorOthersListed as a colleague organization on the PFRA website's Our Colleagues page.
• Pigskin Dispatch PodcastminorOthersListed as a colleague organization on the PFRA website's Our Colleagues page.
• Buffalo History MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFRA President George Bozeka gave a presentation about The 1964 Buffalo Bills book at The Buffalo History Museum. The museum hosts Western New York chapter events and convention add-on tours.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• College Football Hall of Fame: Operates a hall of fame and historical preservation mission analogous to PFRA's, but focused on college rather than pro football; both organizations serve as recognition and archival bodies for football history.
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Analogous sports hall of fame with editorial content, archival research, and member/induction programs that mirror the Hall of Very Good model, though applied to basketball.
• Pro Football Hall of Fame: The primary NFL hall of fame with which PFRA's Hall of Very Good is explicitly positioned as a complementary/secondary honor. Shares archival, convention, and recognition interests and has been a convention host.

Direct peers

• Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA): Another pro football-focused professional membership organization of writers and historians that overlaps significantly with PFRA's historian and author audience and engages in award programs and events.
• Society for American Baseball Research (SABR): The most direct structural analog to PFRA: a non-profit membership society of researchers and historians who publish a periodical (Baseball Research Journal), maintain biographical and statistical archives, and run a research-driven community around a major American sport.

Emerging players

• Pro Football Retired Players Association (PFRPA): A fellow football non-profit serving retired NFL players, frequently co-promoted with PFRA at conventions and on the PFRA Podcast, with overlapping player-heritage and recognition interests.
• Gridiron Greats Magazine: A colleague media outlet covering pro football nostalgia, player retrospectives, and memorabilia; overlaps with PFRA's enthusiast and collector audience and is listed as a colleague organization.
• American Football Association: A semi-pro football governing body whose leadership has appeared on the PFRA Podcast and whose Hall of Fame intersects with PFRA's historiography of football at multiple levels.

Others

• Sports History Network: Hosts and distributes the Official PFRA Podcast alongside other niche sports history shows; comparable as an enabling platform that aggregates sports history content creators.
• McFarland Books: Strategic publishing partner for PFRA's Great Teams book series; comparable as an independent academic/special-interest publisher producing football history titles alongside other niche nonfiction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/footballhistory
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProfessionalFootballResearchersAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/professional-football-researchers-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Professional Football Researchers Association