Because "Super Bowl L" would have apparently been too confusing for the American populace, the NFL announced Wednesday that they would be dropping the Roman numerals for the first time in the history of the nation's most publicized gladiatorial showdown, but only for the game in 2016.
According to USA Today, the Bay Area's Super Bowl will be the only one to get the simplified numbering system. Next season's Super Bowl XLIX will happen in Glendale, Arizona and we'll be back to the old style for the Super Bowl LI game in 2017. That's a real missed opportunity for Levi's, the marquee sponsor of the new Santa Clara Stadium, where they just outfitted Niners mascot Sourdough Sam with a fresh pair of pants:
#49ers Sourdough Sam looks so good in @Levis he's expecting a call from @ESPNTheMag any day. http://t.co/dGdc9WZWMw pic.twitter.com/XUUoIS6wod
— Levi's® Stadium (@LevisStadium) June 4, 2014