Smokey XII, the Bluetick Coonhound who has spent nearly his entire first season sprinting through the Power T at Neyland Stadium, just landed a deal of his own. The University of Tennessee's rescue mascot is now a brand ambassador for The Farmer's Dog, a fresh-food pet company that is making him and four other college mascots the official faces of a new multi-year sponsorship push.
The announcement, made as Tennessee prepared for homecoming week festivities, names Smokey alongside Georgia's Uga XI, UConn's Jonathan XV, Tulsa's Goldie and Washington's Dubs as new brand ambassadors, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. The Farmer's Dog describes the arrangement as a first-of-its-kind partnership built for what it's calling the era of Most Valuable Pups, and the company says the five dogs are the first live animal mascots to be compensated for their name, image and likeness. The Farmer's Dog becomes the official pet-food partner of all five athletic departments for the next three years, according to a release from prnewswire.com.
A Rescue Dog's Rise to Game-Day Stardom
Smokey XII was identified during a search that followed Smokey XI's early retirement, per the Knoxville News Sentinel's reporting. He is the first rescue dog to become Tennessee's mascot, a lineage of Bluetick Coonhounds that has represented the university since 1953. Smokey XI stepped away after the 2025 season to live with the Hudson family, with UT officials noting at the time that his reserved temperament was affecting his comfort in public settings, per news.utk.edu.
Smokey XII was found through the East Tennessee Bluetick Coonhound rescue community, and UT's search team recognized his potential once they evaluated him, according to utk.edu. He made his official debut at the 2026 Orange and White spring football game in Neyland Stadium on April 11, and members of the Alpha Gamma Rho agricultural fraternity now serve as his game-day handlers, per utsports.com. Nearly a full football season later, he's become a howling sensation on the sidelines, celebrating every Tennessee Volunteers score, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports.
What the Deal Actually Covers
Under the agreement, The Farmer's Dog will become Smokey's official food and will provide meals and treats made with real, human-grade ingredients, per prnewswire.com. Fans can expect the company to show up on campus at Neyland Stadium, alongside athletes, and at tailgates, with behind-the-scenes opportunities to go deeper with Smokey himself. The broader rollout spans football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball, with student-athletes at each school collaborating with the company on content featuring their campus mascot.
The partnership isn't just about kibble. The Farmer's Dog will fund a small-animal veterinary nutrition residency at both the Knoxville campus and the University of Georgia. The residency announcement builds on a broader commitment that includes an additional $10 million investment in veterinary research, according to utianews.tennessee.edu. Shawn Hegan, Learfield's executive vice president of global partnerships, said the partnership with the five schools complements the fandom already built around their iconic mascots.
Smokey Joins a Growing Roster
The five dogs now slot into a sports marketing lineup that already includes NFL ties, Giants running back Cam Skattebo, tennis player Jessica Pegula and NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney, according to sportsbusinessjournal.com. Coverage of the broader five-school rollout, including Georgia's Uga XI and UConn's Jonathan XV, was also detailed by petfoodindustry.com.
Sources differ slightly on Smokey XII's age — the University of Tennessee's own announcement describes him as a two-year-old Bluetick Coonhound named Neyland, while the Knoxville News Sentinel's report on the NIL deal lists him as three years old. Either way, the rescue dog who once needed someone to recognize his potential is now running through the Power T with a sponsorship deal to match his sideline celebrity.
