The university also once had a live mascot, upon whom the True Grit statue is based, named Campus Sam.[81] At the beginning of the 2008 fall semester, a Chesapeake Bay retriever puppy was chosen as a new mascot. He attends many athletic events and an online poll was held on the Retriever Activities Center website to choose his name, which was ultimately decided as "Gritty". The school's dining hall is named True Grits.