Announcements of the contest in local newspapers read, 'This can't be an ordinary hound. The University of Tennessee Pep Club held a contest in 1953 to select a coonhound, a breed native to the state, as the school's live mascot. One of the most beloved figures in the state, Smokey is famous for leading the Vols out of the giant 'T' formed on Shields-Watkins Field by the Pride of the Southland Marching Band prior to each home game.

Smokey X, UT's current canine mascot,В began his reign in 2013. To learn more, read The Legend of the Volunteer. This tradition lives on to present dayВ with UT women's teams, including the eight-time national champion women's basketball program, still proudly bearing the Lady Volunteers name and logo. Upon formation of the Women's Intercollegiate Athletics Department in 1976, Tennessee's female student-athletes were known asВ the Lady Volunteers. Polk, another native son, made an appeal for 2,600 nationwide volunteers at the beginning of the conflict that resulted in more than 30,000 soldiers from his home state alone.ДЄs long as teams have represented UT on the field, those squadsВ have carried on the name and tradition of the original Tennessee Volunteers. The name truly took hold during the Mexican-American war, when President James K. Andrew Jackson led more than 1,500 soldiers from his home state to fight for the United States at the Battle of New Orleans. The history of the 'The Volunteer State' began with the War of 1812, when Gen.

The bravery, heroism, wisdom and ferocity of the Volunteers place them on a pedestal of great American legends.ДЄs the land grand university for the state of Tennessee, UT adopted the state's moniker of 'The Volunteer State'В for its athletic teams.

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