Why Is It Called the Super Bowl?

The 2023 Super Bowl is just days away and it’s sure to be a massive media event. This year’s Super Bowl will see the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles facing off. Amid all of the talk about the teams, and Super Bowl halftime show headliner Rihanna, there’s one detail that most people gloss over — the event’s name. Why do we even call the NFL championship game the “Super Bowl” anyway?

Interestingly enough, the Super Bowl hasn’t always been referred to as such. According to Time, the NFL commissioner, Pete Rozelle, came up with the name “AFL-NFL World Championship Game” for the first big game. Although, the name never really caught on. Lamar Hunt, the main founder of the American Football League and the Kansas City Chiefs owner, came up with the term “Super Bowl,” which he derived from the name of his son’s toy, “Super Ball.” Hunt’s son, Lamar Hunt Jr., later explained how his father came up with the term.

“My dad was in an owner’s meeting. They were trying to figure out what to call the last game, the championship game,” Hunt Jr. explained. “I don’t know if he had the ball with him as some reports suggest. My dad said, “Well, we need to come up with a name, something like the ‘Super Bowl.’” And then he said, “Actually, that’s not a very good name. We can come up with something better.” But “Super Bowl” stuck in the media and word of mouth.” Sports Illustrated reported that they did not use the Super Bowl term until the fourth championship game, which took place in 1970. Ever since the game has been referred to as the Super Bowl, the corresponding roman numeral indicates just how far the big game has come.