The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East Division.[2] The Cowboys joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960 and have played their home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, since 2009.[1][3][4] Originally a member of the NFL Western Conference, the team was moved to the NFL Eastern Conference in 1961 after just one season; they remained in this conference until 1970.[5] In 1967 the NFL subdivided the Eastern and Western conferences into divisions, assigning the Cowboys to the NFL Capitol Division.[6] In 1970, as part of the AFL–NFL merger, the Cowboys were reassigned to the National Football Conference (NFC). In addition to being reassigned conferences, the Cowboys' division, the NFL Capitol Division, was renamed to the NFC East Division.[7][8]
The franchise has made it to the Super Bowl eight times, tying it with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos for second-most Super Bowl appearances in history behind the New England Patriots' record 11 appearances. Of their eight appearances, the Cowboys have won five Super Bowls (Super Bowls VI, XII, XXVII, XXVIII and XXX) which is tied for 3rd most in total championships amongst all 32 NFL franchises.[4][9] The Cowboys have won eight NFC championships, tied for most in the conference's history. The Cowboys are the only NFL team to record 20 consecutive winning seasons (from 1966 to 1985) during which they missed the playoffs only twice (1974 and 1984).[3][10] The Cowboys have won their division 25 times, which is tied for the second-most with the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, behind only the Green Bay Packers (with 31).[9]
As of the end of the 2024 season, the Cowboys have accumulated a record of 569 wins, 423 losses, and 6 ties in the regular season, which is the second-best all-time regular season record among active franchises in terms of win–loss percentage.[9] They have also made the playoffs 36 times, an NFL record shared with the Green Bay Packers, and have the eighth-best playoff record in terms of win–loss percentage with 36 wins and 31 losses.[9][11] The team has had 40 winning seasons, 19 losing seasons, and 6 seasons with as many wins as losses.[12]