Image credit: University of Mississippi
The contest is over, and the Rebel Black Bear is Ole Miss's new mascot. The mascot committee voted, and 62 percent approved of the bear. Only 56 percent approved of the Land Shark, and the gray man of nebulous origins Hotty Toddy only got a 42 percent approval rating.
This outcome was fairly predictable once Lucasfilm officially put the kibosh on Admiral Ackbar's mascot campaign. Bears are common and inoffensive as far as mascots go, and judging by the relatively tepid approval (less than two thirds of the committee signed off on the bear), it won for simply those reasons. The reactions at Red Cup Rebellion are less than joyous too.
Houston Nutt will probably approve though, considering the bear is wearing his hat in two of the three images above.