2010 in football

American football

January

• The Alabama Crimson Tide defeats the Texas Longhorns 37–21 in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl, thereby claiming the 2009 National Championship in College Football.

February

• The New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts 31–17 to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Drew Brees is named Super Bowl MVP.
• For the third consecutive year, the proposed All American Football League, originally intended to launch in 2008, delays its planned debut, this time until 2011.

March

• Another proposed league, the United National Gridiron League, announces that it has indefinitely suspended operations.

April

• The new incarnation of the Arena Football League, consisting mostly of teams from the now-dissolved AF2, makes its debut. Although the new AFL is a separate corporate entity from the original AFL, it purchased the assets of the original league in a bankruptcy auction, enabling it to brand itself as a continuation of the original.

August

• August–September: New Meadowlands Stadium, the new home of the New York Giants and Jets, opened on August 16 with a pre-season game between the two teams, with the Jets as the designated home team. The Giants won this matchup 31–16. After winning a coin flip between the two teams, the Giants played the first regular-season game in the stadium on September 12, defeating the Carolina Panthers 31–18. The Jets played the Baltimore Ravens in their home opener the following night on Monday Night Football, losing 10–9.
• August 20 – The Spokane Shock defeat the Tampa Bay Storm 69–57 at home to win ArenaBowl XXIII.

September

• Reggie Bush, currently with the Saints, announced that he would forfeit his 2005 Heisman Trophy after his involvement with marketing agents while playing at USC led to severe NCAA penalties against the school. USC had already returned its copy of Bush's Heisman and the football program cut ties with Bush.

December

• Brett Favre, Quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings was listed inactive against the New York Giants, which was played at Ford Field home of the Detroit Lions after the Vikings stadium, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, collapsed due to heavy snow. This was the first time Favre did not start a game in 20 seasons, ending his NFL consecutive-streak record at 297.