Oxford, Mississippi, is a place where history doesn't just sit in books. It breathes. It hangs in the humidity. If you’ve ever walked through the Grove on a Saturday morning, you know the feeling. The smell of fried chicken and expensive bourbon is everywhere. But for decades, there was a specific face attached to all that pageantry. Colonel Reb. To some, he was a beloved grandfather figure. To others, he was a painful reminder of a Confederate past that the university was desperate to outrun. The rebel ole miss mascot isn't just a costume; it is a decade-long case study in how a brand survives a mid-life crisis.
It’s messy.
Honestly, trying to explain the evolution of the Ole Miss identity to an outsider is like trying to explain a complex family feud. You have the "Rebels" nickname, which stuck in 1936. Then you have the mascot, which is a totally different beast. Most people confuse the two. You can be a Rebel without having a Colonel, but for a huge chunk of the fanbase, the two are inseparable.
The Rise and Fall of Colonel Reb
Colonel Reb didn't just appear out of thin air. He was a caricature. He looked like a Southern planter, complete with a cane, a wide-brimmed hat, and a goatee. He was official by 1979, but he’d been floating around in various forms since the late 1930s. He was everywhere. He was on the midfield at Vaught-Heingway Stadium. He was on the hats. He was the guy shaking hands with kids.
But the world changed.
By the late 90s and early 2000s, the University of Mississippi was facing a reckoning. The administration knew the optics were failing. How do you recruit elite athletes to a school represented by a figure that looks like a 19th-century slave owner? You don't. Or at least, it makes it a lot harder. Chancellor Robert Khayat was the one who really pushed the needle. He’d already banned sticks for Confederate flags in the stadium back in 1997. Removing the rebel ole miss mascot from the sidelines in 2003 was the next logical, albeit nuclear, step.
It didn't go over well. People were furious. Even today, you’ll see "Bring Back Reb" stickers on coolers in the Grove. It’s a lingering resentment that refuses to die.
The Landshark and the Bear: A Comedy of Errors?
After the Colonel was sidelined, there was a void. For years, there was no official on-field mascot. Just a name. Just "The Rebels." But the SEC is a mascot-heavy conference. You need something for the kids. You need something to put on a t-shirt.
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Enter the Rebel Bear.
In 2010, after a student vote that featured some truly bizarre options—including Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars—the school landed on "Rebel," a black bear. The logic was tied to William Faulkner, the legendary author from Oxford who wrote "The Bear." It felt intellectual. It felt safe. It also felt completely disconnected from the fans. The bear was fine, I guess, but it lacked soul. It felt like a corporate compromise.
Then came the Landshark.
This is where things get interesting. The Landshark wasn't some marketing firm's idea. It started with Tony Fein. He was an Iraq War veteran and a linebacker for the Rebels. In 2008, he started doing the "fins up" hand gesture after big plays. It caught fire. The defense became the "Landsharks." It was organic. It was tough. It was... actually cool?
In 2017, the students voted again. The Landshark won in a landslide. By 2018, "Tony the Landshark" became the official rebel ole miss mascot.
Why the Mascot Debate Never Truly Ends
You’d think a shark would settle it. It hasn't. Not really.
The core of the issue is that "Rebels" is still the nickname. As long as the school is called the Rebels, there will be a segment of the population that wants the Colonel back. They see the Landshark as a "participation trophy" mascot. Conversely, critics of the nickname argue that a shark is just a distraction from the fact that the school is still using a term associated with the Confederacy.
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It’s a tightrope.
- The Traditionalists: Believe the Colonel represents Southern hospitality and "the way things were."
- The Modernizers: See the Landshark as a way to honor a veteran (Tony Fein) and move toward a more inclusive future.
- The Apathetics: Just want to win a football game and don't care if the mascot is a toasted ravioli as long as they beat LSU.
If you look at the branding today, the university is very careful. They use the "Ole Miss" script heavily. They use the "M" logo. The rebel ole miss mascot (Tony) is used for fan engagement and kids' events, but he isn't the focal point of the school’s national identity. They’ve successfully "de-mascotted" the brand to avoid the heat.
The Financial Reality of a Mascot Change
Changing a mascot isn't just about feelings. It’s about millions of dollars. When the Colonel was removed, the school lost out on a massive amount of licensing revenue from fans who refused to buy "Bear" gear.
The Landshark has fared better.
Walk into any shop on the Oxford Square. You’ll see the shark fin on everything from t-shirts to high-end barware. It’s a lucrative pivot. But there’s also the "underground" market. Unofficial Colonel Reb merchandise is a shadow industry in Mississippi. Because the school no longer uses the trademark in a way that promotes the mascot, third-party vendors have occasionally swooped in. It’s a legal headache that the university lawyers probably spend way too much time on.
What Actually Happened with Admiral Ackbar?
I have to mention this because it’s the most "internet" thing to ever happen to Ole Miss. In 2010, when the school was looking for a new rebel ole miss mascot, a group of students started a campaign for Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi.
Why? Because he’s the leader of the Rebel Alliance.
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It was brilliant. It was hilarious. It actually gained a ton of traction. Lucasfilm eventually put out a statement saying they were flattered but weren't looking to get into the college sports business. It was a brief moment of levity in an otherwise very tense, very serious debate about race and heritage.
The Expert Take: Does the Mascot Even Matter?
In the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) era of college sports, the mascot is becoming less important than the players themselves. Jaxson Dart is a bigger brand in Oxford than Tony the Landshark will ever be.
However, for recruiting, the rebel ole miss mascot matters for the vibe it sends. Lane Kiffin has turned Ole Miss into "Portal U." It’s a flashy, modern, high-octane program. A shark fits that vibe. A 19th-century Colonel doesn't. Whether the "Old Guard" likes it or not, the shift was necessary for the program to remain competitive in the modern SEC. You can’t build a futuristic program on the back of a caricature from 1936.
Actionable Insights for the Curious Fan
If you're heading to Oxford or just trying to understand the culture, here is how to navigate the mascot situation without sticking your foot in your mouth:
- Understand the "Fins Up" Gesture: If you see someone putting a hand to their forehead like a shark fin, they are doing the Landshark sign. It’s the primary way fans express the mascot identity now. It's a tribute to Tony Fein. Use it if you want to fit in with the student section.
- Respect the History (Even the Messy Parts): If you see Colonel Reb gear, don't assume the person wearing it is making a political statement. For many, it's just a nostalgia trip for the era they attended school.
- Visit the Walk of Champions: If you want to see how the university balances the old and the new, walk through the Grove to the stadium. You’ll see the "Rebel" name everywhere, but notice how the imagery has shifted toward sleek, professional logos rather than characters.
- Look for Tony: If you have kids, the Landshark is very active at the baseball games (Swayze Field). The atmosphere there is much more mascot-friendly and relaxed than the high-stakes environment of a Saturday football game.
- Check the Official Store: If you want to support the school, buy the official Landshark gear. The royalties from those sales actually go back into the university's athletic funds, whereas the "vintage" Reb gear usually doesn't.
The rebel ole miss mascot saga is far from over. As long as the "Rebel" name remains, the ghost of the Colonel will haunt the sidelines. But for now, Tony the Landshark is the face of the future. He’s weird, he’s aggressive, and he’s uniquely Oxford. In a world of tigers, bulldogs, and wildcats, having a shark in the middle of a landlocked state is exactly the kind of chaotic energy Ole Miss thrives on.
The Landshark isn't just a mascot; it's a survival tactic. It’s the school’s way of saying they can change without losing their edge. Whether that’s true depends entirely on who you ask in the Grove.
Next Steps for Deep Diving into Ole Miss History:
- Research the life of Tony Fein to understand the heart behind the Landshark.
- Read "The Ghosts of Ole Miss" by Wright Thompson for a definitive look at the 1962 integration riots and the football team.
- Explore the University of Mississippi's "M" Club archives for photos of the original mascots from the early 20th century.