The Smokey statue in front of Gate 21 at Neyland Stadium was damaged and eventually fully covered up during Tennessee football's road game against Arkansas on Oct. 10.
A photo began to circulate on social media early in the afternoon before kickoff showing the Smokey statue's head broken off its body and laying on the sidewalk. It appeared to be raining in the photo.
Ok, who decapitated Smokey? Wtf pic.twitter.com/1o2LZ8JvJU
— the_braden_robertson (@braden_cr) October 10, 2026
The statue was covered with a white tarp and secured with black duct tape wrapped around it, and the head of the dog was clearly missing from the statue. A gate was set up around the statue to prevent further damage.
There are Smokey statues across Tennessee's campus, each one representing one of the bluetick coonhounds that
have served as the Vols' mascot over the years. Smokey XII made his debut this season as the first rescue dog to assume the role.
The Smokey statue that was damaged was Smokey I, the first dog to be the Vols' mascot. The plaque in front of the statue says: "PR Brooks Blue Smokey first appeared at the Duke game in 1953 and served through the 1954 season."
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Statue of Tennessee football mascot Smokey I in front of Neyland Stadium damaged
