{
  "id": 5573905,
  "title": "Smokey XII makes national TV debut on 'Today' as a 'promising new recruit'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/smokey-xii-makes-national-tv-debut-on-today-as-a-promising-new-recruit",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-04T14:26:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/smokey-xii-makes-national-tv-142656891.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Smokey XII, a two-year-old rescue dog, made his national television debut on NBC's Today show this morning ahead of his appearance at Neyland Stadium on September 5. The young canine, who turns one on September 10, is the first rescue dog to serve as the University of Tennessee at Knoxville's mascot, following in the footsteps of his 11 predecessors.\n\nTo share his story with the nation, Today came to Knoxville to spend time with Smokey XII and his handlers, members of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, cheerleaders, and his costumed mascot look-alike. The report featured Smokey interacting with enthusiastic fans, rehearsing his game day routine, and making a trip to the veterinarian.\n\nToday's report showcased Smokey's promising start, and viewers can expect to see him leading the team through the Power T gesture formed by the Pride of the Southland Marching Band during the season opener against Furman on game day. Keenan Thomas, higher education reporter for Knox News, provided this coverage. For strong local journalism and additional UT news, subscribe at subscribe.knoxnews.com.",
  "summary": "Smokey XII was featured live on NBC's 'Today' as the morning program shared his story from rescue dog to on-field mascot.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Smokey XII makes national TV debut on 'Today' as a 'promising new recruit'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/smokey-xii-makes-national-tv-debut-on-today-as-a-promising-new-recruit-5573906",
        "published": "2026-09-04T14:26:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}