Both the successful athletic history of the University of Alabama and its intimidating Crimson Tide fan base have created a rich and historic culture full of many Alabama traditions dating back to the beginning of the franchise.

“It is just insane, because the amount of passion that this fan base has is unmatched.” said Courtney Larrimore, sports editor of Alabama’s school newspaper, the Crimson White, about the fanbase and its traditions.

Here’s a history of a few common Alabama fan phrases and historic entities.

Big Al

Tuscaloosa’s mascot, Big Al the Elephant, dates back to the 1930s. When playing a game against Ole Miss, a reporter described Alabama’s team as “powerful, big, tough, fast, aggressive, well-schooled in fundamentals, and the best blocking team for this early in the season that I have ever seen.”

The reporter documented that after the end of the third quarter an Alabama fan yelled out, “Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,” in reference to Alabama’s athletes.

From then on, writers would describe the football team as the “Red Elephants.” 

By the 1970s, students and fans wanted to make the large mammal the official mascot of the university. Big Al the Elephant made his debut in 1979.

The Crimson Tide 

The fan base being described as a Crimson Wave dates back to 1907, when the Alabama football team was playing a messy mud-filled game against Auburn, an in-state rival. An editor for the Birmingham Age Herald described the Alabama team as “a Crimson Tide,” describing the color their white jerseys had turned from the red mud.

Roll Tide 

The faithful and devoted fan base of Alabama has its main and most symbolic phrases of  “Roll Tide” and “Roll Tide Roll.” The popular school phrase came about over time as the school song which had the lyrics of “Roll to vic-try,” eventually changed to Roll Tide in reference to the Crimson Tide. The phrase is particularly fascinating because, while the school’s mascot is Big Al, the elephant, they would never utter the phrase, “Go, elephants,” the way Texas fans would say, “Go, Longhorns.” Instead, it is always “Roll Tide.”

“Dixieland Delight” 

The song “Dixieland Delight” is a long and notable tradition at Alabama sports events. Specifically in football, “Dixieland Delight,” by the band Alabama, is featured before the start of the fourth quarter in the Bryant-Denny

Stadium usually with red lights and a sea of Alabama fans singing, while adding their own ad-libs.

“You say different things, and they’re kind of not super appropriate,” Larrimore said about the added lyrics. “So, I won’t sing it to you.”

While there’s a clash between Alabama and Tennessee about who the song was originally meant for, the Crimson Tide has claimed it as one of its traditions for many years and the atmosphere it creates is like no other. 

“It’s almost like when you go into those super churches, and it’s just, it’s a lot for the senses,” Larrimore said. “And everyone’s screaming and yelling, and even the opposing people are getting into it and they’re yelling their own stuff.”