The Ole Miss Bear is the official mascot of the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss. The bear has been an important symbol for the university for decades, representing the strength, courage, and determination of the university's athletic teams and students. The history of the Ole Miss Bear can be traced back to the early 1930s when the university decided to adopt a new mascot. At that time, the university's sports teams were often referred to as the "Flood Tide," but there was a growing desire to have a more unique and representative symbol. In 1930, a search began for a new mascot, and after considering various options, including lions and tigers, the university settled on a bear. The bear was chosen for its association with the state of Mississippi, which is known as the "Bear State" due to its dense bear population in the early 20th century.

Rebel Black Bear Selected As New On- Field Mascot for Ole Miss Rebels

OXFORD, Miss. – The Rebel Mascot Selection Committee is excited to announce the Rebel Black Bear as the new on-field mascot for the Ole Miss Rebels.

The committee made the recommendation to University of Mississippi leaders Wednesday night following a thorough analysis of the latest poll of Ole Miss students, faculty, staff, alumni and season ticket holders. The poll indicated that 62 percent of those polled support 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.”

The committee’s decision follows an eight-month process that began in February, 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.

“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, has been 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.”

Thompson said work on the next steps will begin immediately.

Charles Clark, president of the UM Alumni Association, said he is grateful to Ole Miss alumni and friends for their increased participation in the recent mascot survey and to the Mascot Selection Committee for its hard work and involvement of alumni in the process.

“While we might not all agree with the committee’s selection, I am confident that we will come together and continue to strongly support the Ole Miss Rebels,” Clark said. “I know that my love of Ole Miss is as strong as ever, and that I will be in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night cheering loudly for our Rebels.”

The selection of the Rebel Black Bear follows a process that was based on input from the entire Ole Miss community. In 33 initial focus groups, Ole Miss students, alumni, faculty, staff and season ticket holders identified characteristics that are vital to a new Rebels mascot. According to those groups, the ultimate mascot should unify the Ole Miss community, have a Mississippi connection, be unique, adapt from the Grove to the game, fit the Ole Miss culture, project a proud image, be timeless and not trendy, have the ability to be active and appeal to children.

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.

Participation in the October poll was up slightly over the initial poll, with more than 13,300 people responding and 87 percent supporting at least one of the three options. Of people expressing a preference for one of the options, 72 percent supported the Rebel Black Bear. Among students, support was even stronger for the Rebel Black Bear, with 74 percent of students who indicated a preference supporting that option. Off-campus participation, including alumni and season ticket holders, made up the largest segment of those polled.

Ole Miss adopts Landshark as new official mascot for athletic events

Ole Miss chancellor Jeffrey Vitter announced the change Friday, adding the university will still be known as the Rebels.

"The growth of the Landshark mystique over the last seven years has been phenomenal with every athletics team embracing it, including such standouts as Marshall Henderson with basketball and Kaitlin Lee with softball, in leading their respective teams to SEC championships," Vitter said in a statement.

The term Landshark originated in 2008 and was quickly adopted by the football team's defensive unit, according to the athletic department. Since then, players from Ole Miss teams have celebrated big plays by putting a hand to their forehead in the shape of a shark fin.

The as-yet named Landshark will replace Rebel the Bear, who was selected as the Ole Miss mascot in 2010. In 2003, the university retired Colonel Reb from the field in an effort to move away from symbols of the Old South.

Rebel the Bear's retirement is effective immediately, and the mascot will not be present at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium when Ole Miss plays Auburn on Saturday, athletic director Ross Bjork said.

The bear's ouster follows a student-government poll in which 81 percent of the respondents endorsed the Landshark. Vitter said he conferred with several student and alumni groups before making the decision. The Landshark is expected to be unveiled in 2018.

Rebel Black Bear Selected As New On-Field Mascot for Ole Miss Rebels

OXFORD, Miss. – The Rebel Mascot Selection Committee is excited to announce the Rebel Black Bear as the new on-field mascot for the Ole Miss Rebels.

The committee made the recommendation to University of Mississippi leaders Wednesday night following a thorough analysis of the latest poll of Ole Miss students, faculty, staff, alumni and season ticket holders. The poll indicated that 62 percent of those polled support 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.”

The committee’s decision follows an eight-month process that began in February, 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.

“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, has been 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.”

Thompson said work on the next steps will begin immediately.

Charles Clark, president of the UM Alumni Association, said he is grateful to Ole Miss alumni and friends for their increased participation in the recent mascot survey and to the Mascot Selection Committee for its hard work and involvement of alumni in the process.

“While we might not all agree with the committee’s selection, I am confident that we will come together and continue to strongly support the Ole Miss Rebels,” Clark said. “I know that my love of Ole Miss is as strong as ever, and that I will be in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night cheering loudly for our Rebels.”

The selection of the Rebel Black Bear follows a process that was based on input from the entire Ole Miss community. In 33 initial focus groups, Ole Miss students, alumni, faculty, staff and season ticket holders identified characteristics that are vital to a new Rebels mascot. According to those groups, the ultimate mascot should unify the Ole Miss community, have a Mississippi connection, be unique, adapt from the Grove to the game, fit the Ole Miss culture, project a proud image, be timeless and not trendy, have the ability to be active and appeal to children.

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.

Participation in the October poll was up slightly over the initial poll, with more than 13,300 people responding and 87 percent supporting at least one of the three options. Of people expressing a preference for one of the options, 72 percent supported the Rebel Black Bear. Among students, support was even stronger for the Rebel Black Bear, with 74 percent of students who indicated a preference supporting that option. Off-campus participation, including alumni and season ticket holders, made up the largest segment of those polled.

Goodbye black bear? Some Ole Miss students call for new mascot

OXFORD, MS (WMC) - After seven years of a black bear, is it time for a new mascot at Ole Miss?

Students are pushing for a mascot tied to a historic Ole Miss win.

A black bear has been their mascot ever since Colonel Reb was retired in 2010. But it could soon be changing again to make this much more official.

"I'm a die-hard landshark fan, so I'm pretty excited if it gets changed," said freshman Bryson Beard. "I've never really been a fan of the black bear, fins up always."

The landshark gesture has been used ever since Ole Miss's historic upset over the Tim Tebow-led Florida Gators in 2008.

"I think I like the landshark better actually, I think the football players and athletes will like it better," said senior Jake Miller.

This week, the Associated Body announced a "Landshark Referendum" with a push for the landshark to become official.

"When something big happens you throw up the landshark, you don't wanna go around doing no bear," Miller said.

But not every Rebel we spoke with was on board with the possible change.

"I feel like people want to keep the bear, I think they wanna keep the black bear honestly," said freshman Gabrielle Tate.

So what would a Rebel Landshark even look like?

"I envision a lot of shark costumes in the near future at the stadium, which I think would be really fun," said sophomore Jessica Flach.

The school will vote Sept. 26 in this year's fall election on whether the landshark will be making landfall at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Copyright 2017 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved.

The bear was chosen for its association with the state of Mississippi, which is known as the "Bear State" due to its dense bear population in the early 20th century. The bear was officially adopted as the university's mascot in 1935, and a student contest was held to give the bear a name. The winning name was "Rebel," which is how the bear became known as the Ole Miss Rebel.

Rebel quickly became a beloved symbol of the university and was often seen at sporting events, pep rallies, and other university functions. Over the years, the Ole Miss Bear has evolved and undergone a few changes. In 2010, the university introduced a new bear mascot costume, a more modern and realistic representation of a bear. This new costume was designed to be more athletic and intimidating, reflecting the competitive spirit of the university's athletic teams. Today, the Ole Miss Bear continues to be a central figure at university events, helping create a sense of unity and pride among students, alumni, and fans. It serves as a reminder of the university's rich history and traditions and embodies the supportive and competitive spirit of the Ole Miss community..

Reviews for "From Rebel to Bear: The Transformation of Ole Miss Mascot"

1. Sarah - 1 star

I have to say, the Ole Miss bear mascot is absolutely ridiculous. What were they thinking when they came up with this idea? It's not intimidating or fierce in any way, it just looks like a cartoon character. I remember the days when our mascot was an actual human dressed up as a colonel, and that was way better than this bear. It's embarrassing to see our team represented by something so silly.

2. Michael - 2 stars

I'm not a big fan of our new bear mascot. It lacks the traditional spirit and charm that our previous mascots had. This bear just doesn't have the same energy and enthusiasm that a school mascot should possess. It feels like the university went for a more generic and marketable option instead of something that truly represents our school's heritage and values. I hope they reconsider and bring back a more fitting mascot in the future.

3. Emily - 1 star

The Ole Miss bear mascot is a huge disappointment. When I think of a bear mascot, I imagine something fierce and intimidating. This bear just looks like a stuffed animal you'd win at a carnival. It's not motivating or inspiring at all. I think they completely missed the mark with this choice and should have opted for something more impressive and representative of our school's spirit.

4. Alex - 2 stars

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the Ole Miss bear mascot. It's just not a good fit for our school. We should have a mascot that embodies the history, traditions, and spirit of Ole Miss. This bear doesn't capture any of that. The design and concept seem poorly thought out and unoriginal. I hope they consider a redesign or a new mascot altogether that better reflects the true essence of our university.

The Ole Miss Bear Mascot: An Inspiration for Fans and Athletes