2002 NFL Season The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League . The league went back to an even number of teams , expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans . The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions , four teams in each . Also , the Chicago Bears played the 2002 season in Champaign , Illinois at Memorial Stadium because of the reconstruction of their home stadium Soldier Field . The NFL title was eventually won by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII , the Super Bowl championship game , at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego , California on January 26 . Expansion and realignment . With the Houston Texans joining the NFL , the league ' s teams were realigned into eight divisions , four in each conference . In creating the new divisions , the league tried to maintain the historical rivalries from the old alignment , while at the same time attempting to organize the teams geographically . Legally , three teams from the AFC Central ( Cincinnati , Cleveland , and Pittsburgh ) were required to be in the same division as part of any realignment proposals ; this was part of the NFL ' s settlement with the city of Cleveland in the wake of the 1995 Cleveland Browns relocation controversy . The major changes were : Additionally , the arrival of the Texans meant that the league could return to its pre - 1999 scheduling format in which no team got a bye during the first two weeks or last seven weeks of the season . From 1999 to 2001 , at least one team sat out each week ( including the preseason ) because of an odd number of teams in the league ( this also happened in 1960 , 1966 , and other years wherein the league had an odd number of teams ) . It nearly became problematic during the previous season due to the September 11 attacks , since the San Diego Chargers had their bye week during the week following 9 / 11 and the league nearly outright canceling that week . The league also introduced a new eight - year scheduling rotation designed so that all teams will play each other at least twice during those eight years , and will play in every other team ' s stadium at least once . Under the new scheduling formula , only two of a team ' s games each season are based on the previous year ' s record , down from four under the previous system ( the previous system also used standings to determine interconference match - ups ) . An analysis of win percentages has shown a statistical trend upwards for top teams since this change ; the top team each year now averages 14 . 2 wins , versus 13 . 4 previously . The playoff format was also modified : four division winners and two wild cards from each conference now advance to the playoffs ( changed from three division winners and three wild cards with the top wildcard hosting a playoff game ) . In each conference , the division winners are now seeded 1 through 4 , and the wild cards are seeded 5 and 6 . In the current system the only way a wildcard team can host a playoff game is if both win out into their league ' s Championship Game . In that scenario the # 5 seed would host the game on its field . It is impossible for the # 6 seed to host a playoff game ( unless the team ' s stadium hosts the Super Bowl that year ) . Major rule changes . Also , with the opening of the NFL ' s first stadium with a retractable roof , Reliant Stadium , the following rules were enacted : Uniform changes . In addition , Reebok took over the contract to be the official athletic supplier to the NFL for all 32 teams ' s uniforms . Previously , teams had individual contracts with athletic suppliers . American Needle , which had a contract with a few teams before the Reebok deal , challenged the NFL in court over Reebok ' s exclusive deal , with the NFL effectively stating that it was a " single - entity league " instead of a group consisting of 32 owners . The case eventually went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States . In 2009 , the Supreme Court agreed to hear " American Needle , Inc . v . National Football League " . In 2010 , the court ruled that the NFL is not a single entity . The legality of the NFL ' s exclusive contract with Reebok is still in question by the lower courts as of October 2010 . Reebok remained the league ' s athletic supplier through the 2011 NFL season , when Nike took over the contract . Reebok had initially announced when the deal was signed in 2000 that aside from the expansion Texans , all NFL teams would be wearing new uniforms for the 2002 season . However , after protests from several owners — most vocally Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney - - Reebok later rescinded the proposal . Reebok did , however ( by player request to reduce holding calls ) , shorten the sleeves on the jerseys for teams that hadn ' t done so already ( players had been for the previous decade tying the sleeves tight around their arms to prevent holding ) and made the jerseys tighter - fitting . This is perhaps most noticeable on the Indianapolis Colts jerseys , where the shoulder stripes , which initially went from the top of the shoulders all the way underneath the arms , were truncated to just the top portion of the shoulders . This did not affect jerseys sold for retail , though , although special " authentic , gameday - worn " jerseys with the shorter sleeves are available at a much higher premium . Reebok later had more success convincing teams to change uniforms with the NHL when Reebok introduced the Rbk Edge uniforms for the 2007 – 08 NHL season . Although Reebok rescinded the idea of all NFL teams wearing new uniforms for the 2002 season , the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks did redesign their uniforms , with the Seahawks also unveiling an updated logo in honor of their move to Qwest Field and the NFC . Final regular season standings . " W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , PCT = Winning Percentage , PF = Points For , PA = Points Against " " Clinched playoff seeds are marked in parentheses and shaded in green " Milestones . The following teams and players set all - time NFL records during the season :