Smokey XII to debut at the Orange and White game

[YankeeVol]

His name is actually Neyland

 

[StarRaider]

 

[Volador]

Welcome Neyland/Smokey XII, Wishing You Many Happy & Successful Years on our Sidelines!!​

 

[MAD]

Smokey XII Joins the Tennessee Volunteer Family

Smokey XII will make his official debut on Saturday, April 11, at the 2026 Orange and White spring football game in Neyland Stadium.

news.utk.edu

 

[howie87]

Handsome doggo!

 

[Voltopia]

Glad to see a new Smokey's back on board, but I shudder to think how many biscuits his NIL deal is worth.

 

[WillisWG]

Aight aight...

Smokey XII, a two-year-old bluetick coonhound named Neyland, is currently being fostered by an employee of UT’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Neyland’s time with his foster family and his veterinary team has been instrumental in acclimating him to rowdy crowds and exposing him to game day environments including Tennessee basketball games.

 

[TC 83]

What a beautiful dog. Sic em smokey!

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Train him to pee on elephants, gators, and bulldogs.

 

[HeavenUniversity]

More than a mascot—

 

[ffemtp]

He’s a rescue dog also, which is very cool.

per news.utk.edu
When the search began for the next Smokey mascot, the university learned about a promising candidate through word of mouth within the East Tennessee bluetick coonhound rescue community. When his original owners could no longer provide the care he needed, a devoted dog lover stepped in and made it his mission to find him a loving permanent home. After the Smokey search team at UT evaluated him, they recognized his potential to become the next mascot.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Smokey XII... those are real legacy numerals! Makes him sound like a late-15th century king.
Louis XII was also known as "Louis of Orléans." Maybe there's a Sugar Bowl to be snagged under Neyland's reign.


BTW--and not that I'd want to seed contention on the thread: If you listen, and understand coonhound... Smokey always yells "Woooh!"