Walk through the Grove on a Saturday morning in Oxford, and you’ll see it. It’s everywhere. You’ll see the fins. You’ll see fans throwing up the “Landshark” hand gesture—palm flat against the forehead—with a level of intensity that feels almost religious. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think the University of Mississippi was located on the coast rather than nestled in the rolling hills of North Mississippi. The current Ole Miss Rebels mascot, Tony the Landshark, is the product of a long, occasionally awkward, and deeply emotional identity crisis that lasted nearly two decades.
It wasn't a clean transition. Not even close.
For a long time, the school didn't really have a mascot in the traditional, fuzzy-suit sense. They had a symbol. That symbol was Colonel Reb. He was a caricature of a Southern planter, complete with a cane and a wide-brimmed hat. To some, he was a cherished link to the past. To many others, he was a painful reminder of the Old South and the Confederacy. By 2003, the university administration decided the Colonel had to go. He was removed from the sidelines, leaving a vacuum that the school struggled to fill for years.
The Bear That Nobody Really Liked
After years of "mascot limbo," the university held a student-led vote in 2010. The winner? Rebel Black Bear.
It made sense on paper. Mississippi has a native black bear population. It tied into the "Rebels" name through a tenuous connection to William Faulkner’s short story The Bear. But in reality, it felt forced. The students didn't love it. The alumni certainly didn't love it. The Bear lasted about seven years, but it always felt like a placeholder. It was a corporate solution to a cultural problem.
Basically, the Bear lacked "it."
While the Bear was high-fiving kids in the stands, a different movement was brewing on the field. It started with the defense. In 2008, a player named Tony Fein, an Iraq War veteran and a standout linebacker, started celebrating big plays by putting his hand to his head like a shark fin. He called it the "Landshark." The swagger was infectious. The defense adopted the "Landshark" persona, and the fans followed suit. It was organic. It was gritty. Most importantly, it belonged to the players, not a marketing committee.
How the Ole Miss Rebels Mascot Became a Shark
In 2017, the university finally listened to the roar of the crowd. They dumped the Bear and officially introduced Tony the Landshark.
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Naming him "Tony" was a direct tribute to Tony Fein, who had tragically passed away in 2009. This gave the mascot a layer of soul that the previous iterations lacked. It wasn't just a guy in a suit; it was a memorial to a veteran and a beloved teammate.
Why a Shark in the Middle of Mississippi?
It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud. A shark? In the woods? But sports aren't always about geographical logic. They’re about vibes. The Landshark represents an aggressive, "hunt or be hunted" mentality that resonated with the football program during the Hugh Freeze and Lane Kiffin eras.
Honestly, the transition to the Landshark helped the school pivot away from the baggage of Colonel Reb without losing the "Rebels" nickname itself. It provided a mascot that was fun, modern, and—crucially—divorced from the political controversies of the 20th century.
The Controversy That Won't Quite Die
You can’t talk about the Ole Miss Rebels mascot without acknowledging the fans who still miss the Colonel. If you go to a tailgate at the Grove today, you will still see Colonel Reb on t-shirts, flags, and coolers. There is a segment of the fan base that views the Landshark as "political correctness run amok."
But the university has been firm.
The move to the Landshark was about the future. It was about recruiting. It was about creating a brand that could exist on a national stage without generating a headline about the Civil War every time the team played on ESPN. The Landshark isn't just a character; it's a shield. It allows the university to keep the "Rebels" name—which they are desperate to hold onto for branding reasons—while pointing to a goofy, gray shark as the face of the program.
The Logistics of Being Tony
The suit itself has gone through a few iterations. The current version is sleek and athletic, designed to allow the performer to be high-energy.
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- Color: Gray and navy, matching the school's primary colors.
- The Fin: It’s prominent, obviously.
- The Personality: Tony is known for being a bit of a "troll" on social media, often leaning into the absurdity of being a shark in the SEC.
Comparing the Three Eras
If you look at the evolution of the sideline presence, you see the story of a university trying to find its footing in a changing America.
- The Colonel Reb Era (Pre-2003): Tradition-heavy, controversial, eventually unsustainable for a modern SEC powerhouse.
- The Rebel Black Bear Era (2010-2017): Safe, sterile, and ultimately forgettable. It was the "diet soda" of mascots.
- The Tony the Landshark Era (2017-Present): Organic, player-driven, and surprisingly durable.
The Landshark works because it didn't come from a boardroom. It came from a linebacker who wanted to celebrate a sack. That's the kind of authenticity that fans can actually get behind, even if they still have a dusty Colonel Reb bobblehead sitting on their mantle at home.
What You Need to Know if You Visit Oxford
If you’re heading to Vaught-Heingway Stadium, don't look for a bear. And definitely don't expect to see a guy in a plantation outfit.
You’re going to see Tony. You’re going to see 60,000 people putting their hands to their foreheads. It’s weird, it’s unique, and it’s uniquely Ole Miss. The mascot search was long and painful, but the Landshark has finally brought a bit of stability to a program that spent years searching for an identity.
To really understand the current culture, you have to look at the "Fins Up" slogan. It’s the universal greeting in Oxford now. It’s replaced "Hotty Toddy" in some contexts, or rather, it exists alongside it. It’s a bit of a "we know this is weird, but it’s our weird" situation.
The university has leaned into it so hard that there are now Landshark-themed statues and merchandise everywhere. They even have a "Landshark" beer (the Margaritaville brand) that became a natural partner for the school. It’s a marketing win that happened almost by accident.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Researchers
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history or participate in the culture, here is how you should approach it:
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Check out the Tony Fein story. Before you judge the mascot, read about Tony Fein’s life. Understanding his service in the U.S. Army and his impact on the 2008 team changes how you view the "Shark." It turns a goofy mascot into a tribute.
Visit the Manning Center. The university has various displays regarding its athletic history. While they don't lean heavily into the Colonel Reb era for obvious reasons, you can see the progression of the school’s branding and how the Rebels name has been redefined over time.
Learn the "Hotty Toddy" chant. The mascot is the face, but the chant is the soul. If you’re going to a game, you need to know the words. It has nothing to do with sharks or bears, but it is the one thing that has remained constant through every mascot change.
Support the actual Landshark. The university often uses the mascot to promote various charitable causes, including veterans' organizations in honor of Fein. If you're buying gear, look for the official "Tony the Landshark" merchandise that supports these initiatives.
The mascot situation at Ole Miss will likely always be a topic of conversation. You can’t erase 100 years of history overnight. But for now, the Landshark is firmly entrenched. He’s the face of the Rebels, for better or worse, and he represents a bridge between a complicated past and a more inclusive, high-energy future.
Fins up.