The series was developed by Peter Berg, who also directed the 2004 film based on H.G. Bissinger's 1990 nonfiction book about a real high school football team in Odessa, Texas.

After finishing the film, Berg wanted to adapt the story for television because he regretted having to cut many of the book's interpersonal topics due to the time constraints of a feature film, and a TV series allowed him to explore them in depth with fictional characters.

Connie Britton and Brad Leland reprised roles similar to the ones they played in the 2004 film, with Britton again playing the coach's wife and Leland again playing booster Buddy Garrity.

Peter Berg insisted that filming take place in Texas, calling it 'a deal breaker' for his involvement in the project.

The character of Jason Street, whose football career ends after a spinal injury in the pilot, was inspired by real-life player David Edwards of San Antonio's Madison High, who was paralyzed during a November 2003 game that Berg happened to attend.

The show used a cinéma vérité documentary-style technique, filming entire scenes in one take with three cameras and no rehearsal or blocking; actors were free to improvise dialogue and movement as long as they hit key plot points, and the first takes usually made the final cut.

The Dillon Panthers' uniforms, cheerleaders, fans and stadium were actually borrowed from the real Pflugerville Panthers high school team, and footage from actual Pflugerville games was used as game footage in the series.

Football announcers Pete Arbogast and Paul McDonald from the University of Southern California provided the off-screen commentary during the show's football game sequences.

The band Explosions in the Sky, who had composed the score for the 2004 film, also performed all the score and instrumental music for the television series.

After the 2007–08 writers' strike put the show's future in doubt, NBC struck a deal with DirecTV to co-produce three additional seasons, which first aired on DirecTV's 101 Network before later airing on NBC.

Devoted fans organized a 'Save FNL Campaign' that raised money for footballs and charity donations, ultimately generating $15,840 for 18,750 footballs, $2,061 for charity, and $924 worth of DVDs sent to troops stationed overseas.

A feature film sequel with Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton set to return was in development at Universal Pictures and Imagine Television starting in 2011, but creator Peter Berg confirmed in December 2013 that the film would not move forward.