What is the Crimson Tide? Alabama basketball nickname, elephant mascot, explained

As the 2024 NCAA Tournament approaches, and with Alabama basketball entering the event with Final Four aspirations, you might find yourself wondering something over the days and weeks to come — what is a Crimson Tide?

The Tide (21-11, 13-5 SEC), who are coming off a quarterfinal loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament, are led by one of the nation's top point guards in Mark Sears. The 6-foot-1 guard is averaging 21.1 points and 4.0 assists per game this season while shooting over 50% from the field and 44.2% from beyond the arc.

REQUIRED READING: Is Alabama basketball in for an upset? Here are our 2024 March Madness bracket predictions

Along with Sears, Nate Oats will look to rely on Aaron Estrada and Grant Nelson to spearhead a March run for the Crimson Tide. First up is No. 13 seed Charleston on Friday in the first round of the West regional.

Here's the history of why Alabama is called the Crimson Tide:

Why is Alabama called the Crimson Tide?

In short — and to no surprise — Alabama's Crimson Tide nickname originates from the football program. The name is widely believed to have its origins in the 1907 Iron Bowl matchup vs. rival Auburn. Time for a small history lesson:

Per the university's athletics site, Birmingham Age-Herald sports editor Hugh Roberts was the first to use the nickname "Crimson Tide" in a 1907 recap article of the game between Alabama and Auburn, which took place in Birmingham (known for its iron-rich soil).

Terrible weather conditions led both teams to be covered in red mud. Eventually, Alabama played Auburn to a 6-6 tie, despite the Tigers being heavy favorites. In his recap of the game, Roberts reportedly described Alabama as having playe like “a Crimson Tide," a nickname that has stuck with the team ever since.

Prior to 1907, Alabama was known as the "Thin Red Line," though was also referenced as "varsity" or "Alabama football team" or "Crimson White," among other nicknames in newspapers.

And while Roberts was the one who first used the phrase "Crimson Tide," the university also attributes its popularity to usage by Henry Harden "Zipp" Newman, former sports editor of The Birmingham News.

REQUIRED READING: Alabama looks to avoid fate of 2021-22 team in NCAA Tournament, March Madness | Goodbread

Why is Alabama's mascot an elephant?

Despite being officially known as the Crimson Tide, Alabama's mascot is an elephant. Why?

Once again, the answer comes from the football program, this time the 1930 iteration of the team, led by then-coach Wallace Wade. Per the university, sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal covered the Crimson Tide's game vs. Ole Miss, with the former starting its second string against the Rebels. Strupper wrote at the time:

"Coach Wade started his second team that was plenty big and they went right to their knitting scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against one of the best fighting small lines that I have seen. For Ole Miss was truly battling the big boys for every inch of ground.

"At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity.

"It was the first time that I had seen it and the size of the entire eleven nearly knocked me cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size."

From there, Strupper and other sportswriters referred to Alabama as the "Red Elephants," an homage to their crimson jerseys. The 1930 team finished the season 10-0, shutting out eight opponents — including Washington State, 24-0, in the Rose Bowl.

REQUIRED READING: Why Nate Oats believes Alabama can reach Sweet Sixteen in NCAA Tournament, March Madness

Who is Alabama's mascot?

Alabama's mascot is an elephant, but Big Al is the elephant when it comes to Crimson Tide athletics. Alabama's unofficial mascot from 1930 through the 1970s was an elephant, though Big Al did not make his debut until the 1979 Sugar Bowl game vs. Penn State (a 14-7) victory by Paul "Bear" Bryant's Crimson Tide over Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions.

Big Al himself wrote on his history to The Tuscaloosa News in 2007, referring to Alabama cheerleading coach Debbie Greenwell on how he came to be: by way of a poll by the student body.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama nickname, explained: History behind Crimson Tide, elephant mascot