The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the AFC South division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team was originally established as the Houston Oilers in 1959 by businessman Bud Adams, and began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The Oilers were successful in the early years of the AFL, winning the league's first two championships in 1960 and 1961.