OXFORD – After months of controversy and speculation, the Rebel Mascot Selection Committee has announced that the Rebel Black Bear is the new on-field mascot for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Students at the University of Mississippi decided earlier this year to replace their old mascot, Colonel Reb, in an effort to distance themselves from old Southern stereotypes.
Colonel Reb, a southern, white, goateed plantation owner, was designed in the 1930s and reportedly fashioned after Blind Jim Ivy, a fixture around the Ole Miss campus until his death in 1955, seven years before the school was integrated in 1962.
Colonel Reb was officially sidelined from Ole Miss athletic events in 2003, although he was allowed at tailgating and other unofficial university functions.
While many students were in favor of choosing a new mascot, some die hard fans said if they couldn’t keep Colonel Reb, they didn’t want a mascot at all.
The process to settle the matter came in February 2010 when UM students voted 3-to-1 in favor of a student-led process for selecting a new on-field mascot for the Ole Miss Rebels athletics teams.
The Rebel Mascot Selection Committee was formed and after reviewing more than 1,000 mascot suggestions, the selection committee submitted 11 concepts for public input at the end of June.
More than 13,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni and season ticket holders responded to the first poll. Based upon the results of the first poll and work with design professionals, those 11 choices were narrowed down to the three final selections, and artist’s renderings of the concepts were unveiled Oct. 6.
The three selections were the Rebel Black Bear, The Rebel Land Shark and Hotty Toddy.
The final poll indicated that 62 percent of those polled supported the Rebel Black Bear. The Rebel Land Shark drew 56 percent support, and Hotty Toddy drew 42 percent.
“We selected the Rebel Black Bear because it was supported through the entire process and was the lead runner in the final poll,” said Margaret Ann Morgan, committee co-chair. “It has a Mississippi connection, is timeless, appeals to children, is unique to the SEC and fits the other characteristics established in the initial focus groups. “Through this long process, we have seen the love that people have for the university. Having listened to all of those groups, we know this is a choice that best represents what they have said they looked for in a mascot.”
“We gave everyone in the Ole Miss community a voice and are comfortable with our decision, knowing it was the most popular choice,” said Ty New, committee co-chair. “The fact that we were completely transparent through the process makes this a credible choice.”
The student-led process, which involved input and ideas from all groups in the Ole Miss community, was supported by the leadership of the UM Alumni Association, Ole Miss coaches, the Athletics Department and university administration.
“As I have watched this process unfold, I have been impressed with our students’ efforts to seek input from all parts of the Ole Miss family,” Chancellor Dan Jones said. “I want to thank the students who have served on the Rebel Mascot Selection Committee for their hard work and leadership. The university has accepted the students’ mascot recommendation, and we have turned this matter over to Athletics to bring the new mascot to life.”
Athletics Director Pete Boone said he also admires the student selection committee for their work.
“They were willing to take on an emotional issue and managed it in an upfront and transparent way,” Boone said. “Ole Miss Athletics will now be responsible for implementing this decision. Michael Thompson, senior associate athletics director for marketing and communications, will lead this process.”
Thompson said there are two main goals in implementing the new mascot.
“We know that the new mascot has to complement the experience at all athletics events and create a lasting connection between Ole Miss and children, our future Ole Miss Rebels,” he said. “As simple as that may sound, there are many elements involved to make that successful – everything from creating a costume and recruiting and training someone to serve as the first mascot to selecting a 2011 launch venue and date.”
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