Smokey (mascot)
| Smokey | |
|---|---|
Smokey IX | |
| University | University of Tennessee |
| Conference | SEC |
| Description | Bluetick Coonhound |
| First seen | 1953 |
| Hall of Fame | 2008 |
| Website | utsports |
Smokey is the mascot of the University of Tennessee sports teams. These teams, named "The Volunteers" and nicknamed "the Vols", use both a live and a costumed version of Smokey.
There is a Bluetick Coonhound mascot who leads the Vols onto the field for football games. Starting with the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season, Smokey XI leads the charge. The Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity cares for the hound on the University of Tennessee campus. There is also a costumed mascot that appears at every Vols game and has won several mascot championships.