How Alabama got the nickname 'Crimson Tide'
Alabama has dominated football across eras with 16 national championships from the 1920s to the most recent in 2020. They also have one of the best...
Alabama has dominated football across eras with 16 national championships from the 1920s to the most recent in 2020. They also have one of the best nicknames in sports. But where did the nickname "Crimson Tide" come from? It's complicated. Who is created the nickname 'Crimson Tide'? Former Birmingham Age-Herald sports editor Hugh "Doc" Roberts is credited with giving Alabama its nickname, according to the University of Alabama athletics website. After watching Alabama and rival Auburn play to a 6-6 tie in Birmingham in November 1907, Roberts reportedly described the game as a "crimson tide" after Auburn was expected to win but Alabama played its rival to a draw in muddy conditions.