What's the difference between Conference and League?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Could somebody please explain to me the difference between a League and a Conference? Google fu has not come up with much.

I mean, somebody once told me that Major League Baseball should get rid of the AL and NL and organize its teams into conferences instead. They never explained exactly what that means. Or how the playoffs would work.

 

[cardinal biggles]

What sport were they holding up as a shining example of what MLB should be doing differently?

 

[1001001]

It’s just convention.

Baseball has 2 “leagues”. Football has 1 “league.” Basketball has 0 “leagues.”

There’s no rhyme or reason to it.

 

[BillJ]

Could somebody please explain to me the difference between a League and a Conference? Google fu has not come up with much.

I mean, somebody once told me that Major League Baseball should get rid of the AL and NL and organize its teams into conferences instead. They never explained exactly what that means. Or how the playoffs would work.

In the modern world, the AL and NL are simply conferences/divisions of MLB. They were no longer “leagues” when MLB took over all business operations.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

What sport were they holding up as a shining example of what MLB should be doing differently?

Can't remember.

 

[cardinal biggles]

In the modern world, the AL and NL are simply conferences/divisions of MLB. They were no longer “leagues” when MLB took over all business operations.

This. MLB just continues to use the old terminology for the sake of history/tradition.