Ole Miss students voted in droves to change the school’s mascot to the Landshark, the Daily Mississppian reported.

More than 81 percent of the 4,100 students who voted supported the move, the Associated Student Body announced Friday night. It’s just one step toward changing the mascot, but the announcement said official changes will not be made as of now, the announcement signed by ASB executive officers read.

Although multiple mascot debates have raged for more than a decade, ASB announced an official vote with a letter from ASB President Dion Kevin III that opened a campus-wide vote to change the Black Bear mascot to the Landshark.

Following this announcement, ASB will present an official document to university leadership before the homecoming game, detailing the vote’s outcome.

“We hope this will be a catalyst for a transition toward a new mascot, the Landshark,” the announcement read. “We believe that affection for the Landshark serves as a symbolic rallying point, something lovingly embraced among students from a variety of backgrounds- races, religions, creeds, or political affiliations. To that end, it is clear that the student body believes the Landshark deserves to represent our school’s spirit on the field, in the Grove, and in our hearts.”

In the letter, Kevin urged students to vote in support of the change.

“Be a part of this unifying, student driven movement and make the Landshark the official on-field mascot of the Ole Miss Rebels by voting ‘YES’,” Kevin said in the letter. “I support the Landshark, and I am an Ole Miss Rebel.”

The “Landshark” term was adopted by the football team’s defense, something that dates to 2008. As part of that identity, defensive players celebrate big plays by putting a hand to their forehead in the shape of a shark fin. There’s also a battle cry of “fins up.”

After four straight losing seasons, the Rebel football team returned to national prominence with a 9-4 record and a victory over No. 7 Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. Leading the charge was a defensive squad that ranked fourth in the nation and included All-Americans Peria Jerry and Greg Hardy and eventual All-SEC standout Jerrell Powe.

The term “Landshark” originated that season from senior linebacker Tony Fein, an Army veteran who served a one-year tour in the Iraq War before he arrived at Ole Miss.