UNLV Removes 'Hey Reb!' Statue, Considering Mascot Change Amid Social Unrest

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, removed the statue of its mascot, Hey Reb!, that was stationed outside of the school's alumni center.

University president Marta Meana announced the statue's removal on Tuesday and added that UNLV is also considering changing its mascot as well:

The step comes as people across the United States and elsewhere are protesting and demonstrating to demand changes addressing systemic racism and social inequality.

College athletes have also shown a willingness to exert the power they can collectively wield as invaluable contributors to a billion-dollar industry.

On Monday, Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard called out head coach Mike Gundy after he was pictured wearing a T-shirt for One America News Network, a far-right media outlet. Student-athletes at Texas also requested the school cease using "The Eyes of Texas" as its official song, among other changes.

According to UNLV, its Rebels moniker goes back to the mid-1950s and reflects "a time when a nation founded by rebels once again became obsessed with the idea of the iconic nonconformist."

The school's mascot was originally Beauregard, a wolf caricature dressed in a Confederate uniform, which was also a nod to the University of Nevada, Reno, which uses Wolf Pack as its nickname. UNLV dropped Beauregard in 1976 and began using Hey Reb! in 1983.