The mascot, Hey Reb!, was first created in 1983 to depict the embodiment of an independent, rebel spirit at UNLV athletic events,[5][6] intended as a tribute to western settlers.

In the early 1970s, students had voted to banish Beauregard but retained the Rebels name, rejecting alternatives such as Big Horn Rams, Nuggets, A-Bombs, and Sand Burners.

Mike Miller,[8] who was a partner in a local advertising firm and headed the UNLV account, first heard of the university's search for a fitting symbol in 1982 and offered to sketch some ideas.

Miller brainstormed about the kind of character that could embody the spirit of a Rebel while representing the community's history, and drew inspiration from the mountain men of the 1800s.

[2] In 2013, Hey Reb and Jon "Jersey" Goldman, the UNLV student who wears the costume to portray him, were featured in the Hulu documentary series Behind the Mask.