Why is Tulane called the Green Wave? Nickname history, origin ahead of AAC title game

When college football fans tune into the American Athletic Conference championship game on Friday between Tulane and No. 23 Army, they may ponder one question:

Why is Tulane known as the Green Wave?

The nickname is among college football's most distinct — at least, in a sport where common team names such as Bulldogs, Tigers, Wildcats and Eagles are prolific. However, the Green Wave is unique and has its own unique background story.

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Tulane is coming off a 34-24 loss to Memphis to knock it out of the latest round of the US LBM Coaches Poll, while Army is coming off a 29-24 win over UTSA to bounce back from a 49-14 loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 23.

While it is a longshot, both teams hope to see if a win — coupled with a loss by No. 10 Boise State in the Mountain West Conference championship — could open the door for a shot at the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Here's what you need to know about why Tulane is nicknamed the Green Wave and its history:

Why is Tulane called the Green Wave?

According to the Tulane athletics website, the school's athletic teams were Olive and Blue from 1893 until 1919. The "Tulane Weekly" ― one of the school's newspapers ― started referring to the teams as the "Greenbacks" in 1919.

However, on Oct. 20, 1920, Earl Sparling, the editor of the Tulane Hullabaloo, wrote a song that appeared in the newspaper titled "The Rolling Green Wave." A month later, after the new nickname gained acceptance, the student newspaper referred to the team as the Green Wave in a game report for Tulane-Mississippi A&M.

By the end of the 1920 season, the Green Wave nickname was used across athletics as the name for the Tulane used by the Hullabaloo. Newspapers followed suit, though a few still referred to Tulane as the "Greenbacks" through 1923.

It's also likely the Green Wave moniker is also closely related to the university's proximity to water — though no direct mention was made by Tulane's explanation of the nickname. The university not only is nestled between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, but also within 5 miles of the nearest point on the Gulf of Mexico.

What is Tulane's mascot?

Riptide the Pelican, introduced by Tulane in August 1998, is the current Tulane Green Wave mascot. The students voted on the nickname "Riptide" for the official mascot, which harkens back to the earliest mascot for the school: a pelican riding on a surfboard.

Prior to Riptide, "Greenie” ― named after the football game program at the time ― was adopted as the mascot in 1945. Greenie was described as a "mischievous little boy,” and depicted as wearing a Tulane football uniform and waving a pendant.

In 1963, Tulane athletics director Dr. Rix Yard felt the school needed a "more virile symbol for its athletic teams." Working with Art Evans, the art director for Angelus-Pacific Co., in Fullerton, California — and the creator of such Purdue's "Boilermaker" and USC's "Trojan" — the Green Wave design was born. It was adopted in 1964, though various mascots were used in the ensuing 20 years it was in use.

From 1986 to 1997, a block "T" with waves running through it was added as an athletic logo. It was the primary symbol for the athletic programs and was worn on Tulane uniforms until the newest logo.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is a Green Wave? Tulane football nickname, explained