Dr. Pepper explains reason for moving on from advertising featuring Larry Culpepper

If you need proof that we’ve reached full offseason mode, Dr. Pepper’s decision to no longer feature Larry Culpepper in its ads has been the top story of the week in college football.

Apparently, the character, played by actor Jim Connor, was pretty popular in some circles.

Now that the decision has been made to move on from the character, the company has reportedly issued a statement explaining the move. This statement comes courtesy of E.J. Schultz of Ad Age:

“Larry Culpepper has been a great part of our Dr. Pepper college football sponsorship for the past four years and has helped us delight fans throughout the season. With the renewal of our college football sponsorship, we’ve decided to take our football-related advertising in a new creative direction and are planning an all-new campaign this season. We are as committed as ever to our college football partnership as we head toward the 150th anniversary of the game, and we are looking forward to engaging and exciting fans in new ways.”

Will you miss Larry Culpepper next season?