Everyone knows that the mascot is the very essence of any college campus. Especially for the SEC schools. I know of a very special “Dawg” that will remain in my heart forever. With this being the case, it’s no surprise that the University of Mississippi would elect to have a new mascot rather than have none at all, since leaving behind Colonel Reb. 7 years ago.

Ole’ Miss students voted Tuesday to seek a new mascot, leaving behind — at least officially — the controversial specter of Colonel Reb. Results of the day-long online balloting showed 2,510 students voting in favor of a new mascot initiative and 856 voting no.

Sure, replacing Colonel Reb would strike a chord in the hearts of students and alumni alike, being that he had been the mascot for a good number of years. But its resemblance to a plantation owner evoked images of the Old South for others, which prompted the school’s administration to retire it.

The vote saves Ole Miss from remaining as the only SEC school with no mascot for its athletic teams.

What do you think about this issue? Do you think that it was a good idea to give Colonel Reb the boot? What do you think the new mascot should be?