Despite the fact that alligators are not found in San Francisco outside the zoo, the Gator has a long association with SF State that dates back to 1931, when the student newspaper sponsored a contest to select a mascot for the University. One reader suggested the "Gater" because "it is strong and we hope our teams have strength. It is well-built and steadfast, steadily moving toward its goal." The mascot -- and its intentional misspelling “Gaters” intended to evoke the city's famous Golden Gate Bridge landmark -- won the contest, though the spelling eventually reverted to the current "Gators." In the 1960s, SF State had a live alligator mascot named Al, who visited the school’s football team once or twice a year. Al was usually muzzled and doped up “from his tail to his snout” during his visits.