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An arrest has been made after the vandalism of a Tennessee football statue.
A statue outside the Tennessee football stadium was vandalized over the weekend. The Vols’ mascot ‘Smokey‘ was decapitated.
The timing of the act was interesting to some. Is an Alabama fan to blame?
Rivalry pranks are a big part of college football. We listed some of the best in the sport’s history prior to season’s start. Many of the shenanigans target statues and mascots on the campuses of opposing schools. For that reason, an immediate thought was that the Crimson Tide fanbase was responsible.
Who decapitated Smokey?
Ok, who decapitated Smokey? Wtf https://t.co/1o2LZ8JvJU
— the_braden_robertson (@braden_cr) October 10, 2026
Smokey, a Bluetick Hound donning an orange and white kennel blanket, was introduced as the school’s official live mascot in 1953. “After some deliberation, the UT Pep Club settled on a hound as the most appropriate mascot for the Volunteers — narrowly besting the Tennessee Walking Horse,” reads a note on the mascot’s history via UTK Libraries.
The hound was chosen by the crowd during halftime of a contest vs. Mississippi State. He’s led the Vols onto the field through the Power T ever since.
The canine has since been accompanied by a costumed mascot, introduced in the 1960s. Rivals have successfully pranked the school with off field antics in the past.
In 1999, Auburn fans stole the Smokey costume from the apartment of the mascot’s human impersonator while he was at dinner. It was recovered six months later.
Were the Vols hit again this past weekend?
What is it with that fanbase and destroying other universities landmarks and property🤦♂️
— Auburn Central #FireJohnCohen (@AUBCentral) October 13, 2026
Images of the vandalism surfaced on Saturday prior to a game between Tennessee and Arkansas. The Vols were on the road in Fayetteville, seemingly releasing the Hogs from any blame.
Tennessee will, however, host Alabama in Neyland Stadium this coming Saturday. Did a rival fan enter enemy territory while the Vols were out of town? If so, it would’ve certainly crossed the line.
Fans chimed in with their thoughts on social media. The destruction was met with immediate criticism.
“I’m all for having rivals – and hating on a team – but doing stuff like this is low class,” one fan wrote.
“There’s fun banter and pranks like putting jerseys on statues. This is war,” echoed another.
Law enforcement looked into the vandalism this week. An arrest has been made. This was not a rivalry retaliation.
Alabama fans did not vandalize the Tennessee football statue.
Instead, it appears a 19-year-old from New Jersey was the culprit. UT Police released an update on their findings Wednesday. The Crimson Tide are in the clear.
The note says that the person arrested was charged with felony vandalism. He has no ties to the University of Tennessee and was reportedly visiting individuals on campus over the weekend.
The case is now closed. It was not a rivalry prank gone wrong. Just a pointless attack of a beloved school symbol.
With that said, emotions will still be at a high when Alabama comes to town on Saturday afternoon. The game will have major implications on the SEC race. Both teams enter at 5-1 with one loss in conference play. The winner will move one step closer to a potential league title.
This series is one of the oldest in the SEC, having been played over 100 times. It dates back to 1901 with the Tide leading the overall set 60-40-7.
Tennessee ended a 15-game losing skid in 2022. It’s won each of the last two contests played in Knoxville. They’ll look to make it three straight on Saturday.
In the meantime, the school will work to restore Smokey to its previous form.