The answer, according to Alabama's athletics site, dates back to a sportswriter during the 1930 season — one of the Crimson Tide's national title years — when the team was coached by Wallace Wade.

After the Crimson Tide was initially associated with elephants, the animals became the unofficial team mascot. In the 1940s, a live elephant named Alamite was housed on campus. At Homecoming, the ...

Nothing about No. 1 Alabama's nickname of "Crimson Tide" brings to mind the school's costumed elephant mascot, Big Al, no matter how hard you try. So how did one of college football's blue bloods ...

The prodigious size of ’Bama’s squad was on full display in a 64-0 rout, and the elephant imagery stuck. As with most college football origin stories, there are other theories.

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 ...

One elephant dressed up like legendary Crimson Tide coach Bear Bryant and showed off its kicking skills. It isn't exactly clear if the animal has been trained to do this or is simply reacting to ...

With Bryant’s support, the university made an elephant the team’s official mascot in 1980, and Big Al made his debut at the Sugar Bowl. (He was portrayed by a different student, of course, as ...