NFL will not use Roman numerals for Super Bowl 50 in 2016

The NFL is moving away from Roman numerals starting in 2016. (Courtesy @SuperBowl) The NFL has been using Roman numerals to designate Super Bowls since the

The NFL is moving away from Roman numerals starting in 2016. (Courtesy @SuperBowl)

The NFL has been using Roman numerals to designate Super Bowls since the fifth installment of the game in 1971. If you were a football fan growing up, there's a good chance that because of this, you had a better grasp of the system than most of your classmates and friends.

The league announced Wednesday, however, that the designation will change in 2016, as it has decided to go with Super Bowl 50 rather than utilizing the Roman numeral "L."

When asked about the change, the NFL's vice president of brand and creative, Jamie Weston (via ESPN's Darren Rovell), stated that this decision actually began to swing into motion back with Super Bowl 40, the first time the league had to use the "L."

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"When we developed the Super Bowl XL logo, that was the first time we looked at the letter 'L,'" Weston said. "Up until that point, we had only worked with X's, V's and I's. And, at that moment, that's when we started to wonder what will happen when we get to 50?"

Super Bowl 50 will be played at the new San Francisco 49ers' home, Levi's Stadium, on Feb. 7, 2016.

the league will be going back to using the Roman numerals