New state flag finally flies over Ole Miss months after SEC, NCAA pressure

There’s a new state flag in Mississippi and it doesn’t have an emblem that honors American traitors like the last one.

In a proposition vote yesterday, 68 percent of Mississippians voted for “The New Magnolia” to be flown over the statehouse and public buildings.

Over the summer, activists, legislators and even the SEC and NCAA called on the state to remove its old flag that featured the Confederate emblem.

“It is past time for change to be made to the flag of the state of Mississippi,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a June statement. “In the event there is no change, there will be consideration of precluding Southeastern Conference events from being conducted in the state of Mississippi until the state flag is changed.”

A day after the SEC threatened to withhold conference events in the state, the NCAA said they would not hold any postseason championship events in Mississippi unless the flag was changed.

The two SEC schools in the state strongly supported the move to ban the flag.

Days after the SEC and NCAA spoke out, the Mississippi state legislature voted to remove the flag. Their decision went to Governor Tate Reeves, who signed a bill that would officially change the flag.

Mississippi was the last state to have the Confederate battle emblem on its flag.

Over the summer, the Confederate flag was also banned at NASCAR races.

The New Magnolia was flown over the campus of University of Mississippi this morning, hours after becoming the official state flag.

Ole Miss head football coach, Lane Kiffin, tweeted “we are proud to have the new state flag flying over our campus.”