Tailgates, rituals and attire: University of Alabama

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Hometown: Tuscaloosa

Team: Crimson Tide  

Colors: Crimson and white

Tailgating: The Quad is the center of tailgating at Alabama, according to Calvin Brown, the university's director of alumni affairs.

Hundreds of tents are set up on the Quad for parties, many belonging to vendors. Fans start to arrive on Friday before the game, and tailgates don't end until Saturday night.

A couple of students founded a company called Gameday Tents, which will set up and tear down a tent site, Brown said. They even provide food and a flat-screen TV.

Attire: Students at Southern schools are known to dress up, but attire runs from very casual to dressy. Fans wear a lot of Bama gear, Brown said.

Fraternity pledges are typically required to wear coats and ties to a game. 

Food: It often depends on the opponent. For a game against Arkansas, pig roasts are common. Fried gator is served when the game is against Florida.

"Gator tastes like chicken," said Julia Zeiger, a student at Bama.

Rituals: The university's Million Dollar Band has been a Crimson Tide tradition for 100 years. Its 400 members accompany the football players from the Quad to Bryant-Denny Stadium in a parade known as the "Elephant Stomp."

"Big Al," the school mascot, is a fuzzy gray elephant wearing a Crimson Tide jersey. The elephant debuted at the 1979 Sugar Bowl, when the Tide beat Penn State University for the national championship.

The team does not have a logo on its helmets or uniforms, so the elephant's likeness often appears on merchandise and souvenirs.

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