A team with no land can "get back on the map" by defeating a team that currently holds territory.
At the beginning of a season, the map is divided based on geography. Each team is assigned the territory closest to its home stadium (typically divided by counties in the U.S.). imperialism football map
A 32-region map where professional teams fight for control of the United States. Fans track this weekly to see which "kingdoms" dominate the AFC and NFC. A team with no land can "get back
While it started with college football, the trend has expanded across multiple leagues and sports: imperialism football map
As the season progresses, "empires" grow larger while teams that lose all their land disappear from the map.