Alabama fans are split. Not on the future, which new head coach Kalen DeBoer is attempting to brighten in the wake of Nick Saban’s shocking retirement, but on logos.
What is the definitive Alabama logo? We’re talking sports, obviously.
Since 2004, the Script A, which bares a near-identical resemblance to the distinctive Atlanta Braves logo (sans the little curly hat on top), has become synonymous with the Alabama brand, both in athletics and academics. It’s safe, and perhaps a little bland.
My opinion: The Vault A is one of the greatest sports logos of all time.
Why they bothered to change it up in the late 1990s, as Mike DuBose ushered in a new era, I’ll never know.
Would you offer alternatives to the New York Yankees logo? The Green Bay Packers? The Detroit Red Wings?
Let’ not overthink it: That crimson block A with the elephant bursting through it is logo perfection, and somebody in the men’s basketball program knows it.
“I do like the old ‘A,’” head basketball coach Nate Oats said during a press conference while commenting on the team’s alternate uniforms that featured the classic logo on the shorts.
We asked AL.com readers on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), “What is your favorite Alabama sports logo?”
Here were your options: 1) The Script A (2000-present), 2) The Angry Elephant (2001-2004), 3) The Vault A (1974-2000). (And you can cast your own vote in the poll above!)
You responded immediately and passionately. We got more than 2,400 answers on Instagram alone, followed by more than 2,300 on Facebook.
(For what it’s worth, here’s how the likes broke down on the individual Facebook photos: Logo 1 got 234 likes/loves, 2 got 88, and 3 got 363.)
One thing is certain: Few fans like the angry elephant logo (but those who do really love it). Ushered in circa 2000, it marked a transition for the Tide, with DuBose in his fourth season leading Bama.
Where fans are more split is the battle between the Script A and the Vault A.
One is plain, simple, and globally recognized, representing the University of Alabama as a whole as well as the entirety of the Saban era, arguably the greatest run in college football.
The Vault A, on the other hand, is classic Crimson Tide. The elephant bursting through the block crimson letter stands apart from the other pretenders.
That’s why you’ve seen the logo creep back into the Bama zeitgeist on various apparel like gameday polos or the aforementioned special basketball uniforms.
Plus, it has the nostalgia factor — it reminds a certain sect of the fan base of their childhoods and experiencing Alabama football with their loved ones.
