We’re all set for Super Bowl 60 on Sunday in Santa Clara between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night, but if you’re familiar with the marketing for the big game, you know that “Super Bowl 60” isn’t the way it’s officially presented.
Instead, the NFL opts to use Roman numerals to convey which iteration of the NFL championship we’re on. This year, it’s “Super Bowl LX.”
If you’re unfamiliar with how Roman numerals work, those letters may be confusing, but the system is actually pretty straightforward. Roman numerals feature just seven figures, which have a corresponding numerical value and are combined in a form of addition and subtraction.
Here are the seven figures:
- I = 1
- V = 5
- X = 10
- L = 50
- C = 100
- D = 500
- M = 1,000
These numerals are typically listed from larger digits to smaller digits, with each letter being added to form the number. The exceptions are digits involving fours or nines, in which case, the smaller digit is subtracted from the larger digit (for example, XL = 40, XC = 90, etc.).
So, that means this year’s game is Super Bowl LX (50+10). Last year’s was Super Bowl LIX (50+9), next year’s will be Super Bowl LXI (50+10+1), and so on. Simple enough, right?
Now, hopefully you won’t be stuck googling “What do the Super Bowl letters mean” ahead of next year’s contest.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Super Bowl Roman numerals in title, explained
