First Smokey Tennessee Volunteers Statue Bobblehead Unveiled

This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an licensed, limited-edition Tennessee Volunteers Smokey Statue Bobblehead. This is the first bobblehead of the Smokey Statue that can be found in ten spots around the campus at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. The bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

The bobblehead is being released ahead of Tennessee’s huge football game on Saturday when the 14th-ranked Volunteers host 6th-ranked Alabama at 3:30pm Eastern Time at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. Earlier this season, two-year-old Smokey XII, the first rescue dog to serve as UT’s live mascot, dashed through the Power T formed by the Power of the Southland Marching Band to kick off the 2026 football season against Furman at Neyland Stadium.

All the details are below, and you can find pictures and graphics of the bobblehead that you can use at this Dropbox link. The bobbleheads are now available in our online store at the following link.

• The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in April, are now available at this link.
• Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to only 2,026.
• The bobbleheads are $35 each plus an $8 flat-rate shipping charge per order.
• Approximately six inches tall and standing on a stone-like base bearing his name, the replica Smokey Statue bobblehead is wearing an orange and white checkered vest with “TENNESSEE” across the side.
• The University of Tennessee-Knoxville features 10 permanent statues of Smokey, the beloved bluetick coonhound mascot. Unveiled on April 13th, 2019, each fiberglass statue honors one of the 10 dogs who have served in the Smokey lineage since the tradition began in 1953 when the University of Tennessee Pep Club held a contest to select a coonhound, a breed common to Tennessee, to serve as the school’s live mascot.
• The statues are scattered across various recognizable spots around the Knoxville campus: Neyland Stadium (near Gate 21), Circle Park (in the middle), Lake Loudoun Boulevard (diagonally across from Pat Summitt Plaza), UT Gardens (near Jacob Drive), Student Union Pedestrian Bridge area, Hodges Library, TRECS (Tennessee Recreation Center for Students), the Engineering Quad, the Hill, and the courtyard between Strong Hall and Clement Hall. Each individual statue features a plaque placed below or beside it. The plaques share a brief historical story and background of that specific Smokey mascot. The statues themselves are further differentiated by unique numbers on their vests.
• On April 11th, 2026, Smokey XII made his debut at the 2026 Orange and White spring football game in Neyland Stadium. Smokey XII, originally named Nyland, was discovered by UT through word of mouth from the East Tennessee bluetick coonhound rescue community. The original owners could no longer provide the care that Smokey XII needed, and a “devoted do lover stepped in” to find him a home, according to a press release.
• “We’re excited to unveil this first bobblehead featuring Tennessee’s Smokey Statues, which are prominently displayed around the Knoxville campus at the University of Tennessee,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Since the 1950s, Smokey has been one of the most recognizable college mascots and this bobblehead is a must-have for UT supporters everywhere so they can have a replica bobblehead statue to show off their pride for the Vols!”
• The bobblehead is being released ahead of Tennessee’s huge football game on Saturday when the 14th-ranked Volunteers host 6th-ranked Alabama at 3:30pm Eastern Time at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
• The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country.