The Super Bowl has used Roman numerals ever since, with one notable exception: For the 2015 season, the NFL elected to refer to the 50th edition of the game as "Super Bowl 50" instead of "Super Back in 2014, the NFL announced Super Bowl 50 would be displayed with Arabic numerals instead of Roman numerals. It was a one-year exception because the league simply didn't like seeing the L The NFL in 2014 announced that Super Bowl 50 would be displayed with Arabic numerals as opposed to Roman numerals. It made sense, considering it marked the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl. The number 40, for example, is XL, to symbolize 10 before 50. Therefore, 44 would be XLIV. The number 90 would be XC, meaning 99 would be represented as XCIX. Why the NFL chose Roman numerals Super Bowl 50, which took place in February of 2016, did not use Roman numerals. This is the only Super Bowl since '71 that has not had Roman numerals used in the official record books. The use of Roman numerals did not become an NFL tradition until Super Bowl V in 1971. The first two Super Bowls were known as the AFL-NFL world Championship Game. The name “Super Bowl” was officially adopted for the third annual game and the league retroactively added Roman numerals to the Super Bowls before 1971. According to a media guide from 2005 published for Super Bowl XL in Detroit, the NFL uses Roman numerals to denote Super Bowls because the title game is held in the calendar year after the According to the NFL, the big game used roman numerals starting with Super Bowl V, when the Baltimore Colts beat the Dallas Cowboys 16-13. The Roman Numerals for this year’s Super Bowl are LIX, which signifies the 59th edition of the game. All but one of those Super Bowls have used roman numerals in its official name and logo. How To Read Super Bowl Roman Numerals. There are three roman numerals for the 2025 Super Bowl: L (50), I (1), and X (10). Roman numerals and the Super Bowl have been associated with each other for the longest time, but it wasn't always that way. The NFL spells it out in its media guide for Super Bowl XL (that's 40): Back in 2014, the NFL announced Super Bowl 50 would be displayed with Arabic numerals instead of Roman numerals. It was a one-year exception because the league simply didn't like seeing the L History of Super Bowl Roman Numerals. Roman numerals were not originally part of the Super Bowl's title when the game was first played in 1967. In fact, it wasn't even called the Super Bowl at first. The game was originally called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, which was later changed to the Super Bowl in 1969. The NFL gave Roman numerals the boot for Super Bowl 50. Rick Osentoski/AP. Unlike the social ramifications of dodgeball, “The genesis is with Super Bowl XL 10 years ago,” McCarthy says LIX, sponsored by Dairy Queen, halftime show with the Rolling Stones featuring KISS. The game will feature the Browns, who have brought their mascot, vs. the 8 time Super Bowl champion Lions. The NFL will return to Roman numerals next year with Super Bowl LI. "When we developed the Super Bowl XL logo, that was the first time we looked at the letter L," (NFL vice president of brand Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL) in USA. It is an annual game which is hosted by a different city. Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game. For example, Super Bowl I was played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 15, 1967. Roman numerals, also known as roman numbers, have left an indelible imprint on popular culture, featuring in various contexts like movie titles, book chapters, and even the Super Bowl. Their usage in these settings is often employed to denote sequels, continuation of a series, or to symbolize a sense of grandeur and importance. The NFL decided simply to label the Super Bowl not by the year but by the edition of the game. Per the team's media guide: The Roman numerals were adopted to clarify any confusion that may occur For example, the Roman numeral XL equals 40 (50 – 10). Repetition: A numeral can be repeated up to three times in succession to increase its value. Example: III equals 3. Non-repetition: To prevent four repetitions, a smaller numeral preceding a larger numeral indicates subtraction. Hence, 40 in Roman numerals is XL, not XXXX. The league got its first snootful of the Roman empire’s ugliest number a decade ago at Super Bowl XL, and realized it faced a design debacle if somebody didn’t come up with a way to get the L out.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |