Tennessee Volunteers 135th Anniversary 1891 - 2026 Advent Calendar
$59.95
Honor 135 seasons of Saturdays in Knoxville with the Tennessee Volunteers 135th Anniversary 1891 - 2026 Advent Calendar:
- 24 Freestanding 3D Miniatures: Uniformed Vols players, head coach, live mascot Smokey, Neyland Stadium, and Ayres Hall on textured stone pedestals.
- Checkerboard Collector Box: Rigid paperboard case wrapped in signature Tennessee orange-and-white artwork.
Premium materials, safe packaging, and flawless finish tailored for you.
Two years before the University of Tennessee fielded its inaugural 1891 football squad, athletic association president Charles Moore plucked American daisies growing on The Hill near Ayres Hall to establish the school's unmistakable orange-and-white color palette. Across the next 135 years-through the championship coaching tenure of General Robert Neyland, the 1953 halftime debut of live Bluetick Coonhound mascot Smokey, and autumn afternoons echoing with "Rocky Top" inside a 101,000-seat stadium along the Tennessee River-Knoxville Saturdays became a multi-generational Southern ritual. The Tennessee Volunteers 135th Anniversary 1891 - 2026 Advent Calendar translates that collegiate legacy into a 24-day December countdown, pairing a checkerboard-trimmed rigid paperboard box with 24 freestanding three-dimensional miniatures built for alumni desks, study bookshelves, and game-day bars.
Inside the 24 Doors: On-Field Vols, Smokey, Campus Landmarks & 1891-2026 Keepsakes
Framed by orange-and-white checkerboard corners and vertical Power T spine badges, the outer collector box depicts Smokey in an orange jersey perched on a rocky bluff beside a carved "ROCKY TOP FOREVER" stone marker overlooking a sunset panorama of Neyland Stadium and Ayres Hall. Opening a numbered compartment each morning reveals a solid 3D sculpture seated on a textured gray stone-and-turf pedestal:
- 8 Uniformed Player, Coach & Mascot Sculptures: Six Tennessee players in action-quarterback #16 cocking his arm to pass, running back #27 carrying the ball, receiver #1 raising a victory finger, road-white defensive lineman #92, interior lineman #99 in a three-point stance, and player #7 kneeling while hoisting a golden trophy overhead-joined by a head coach in an orange pullover, visor, and headset pointing downfield, plus a sculpted Bluetick Coonhound on a labeled SMOKEY base.
- 4 Knoxville Campus & Stadium Landmarks: An architectural replica of NEYLAND STADIUM complete with checkerboard end zones, the historic Ayres Hall clock tower with its checkered rooftop, a carved rock-and-wood ROCKY TOP plaque bearing an orange Tennessee state silhouette, and a weathered gray brick wall inscribed GO VOLS.
- 12 Game-Day & 135th Anniversary Relics: A gold championship-style ring stamped TENNESSEE 135 YEARS, an orange-and-white checkerboard ticket plaque reading TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS 1891 - 135 YEARS - 2026, a Pride of the Southland marching snare drum with crossed drumsticks, an orange Power T helmet, a laced Power T football, a checkerboard flag, an orange #1 VOLS foam finger, orange-and-white cheer pom-poms, a yellow goalpost, a cheer megaphone, a silver Power T coaching whistle on an orange lanyard, and a triangular TENNESSEE pennant.
Weighted Stone-Pedestal Posture & Year-Round Alumni Display
Unlike thin hanging tree tags that get packed away in January, every piece in this 135th-anniversary edition is permanently mounted on a wide, flat-bottomed stone pedestal without top hanging cords. Each figurine stands level on wood desks, glass trophy shelves, or fireplace mantels the moment it leaves its compartment, while the rigid full-wrap paperboard box holds its sharp rectangular profile behind your completed Knoxville lineup from bowl season right through autumn kickoff.
| Format | 24-day countdown advent calendar with individually numbered daily boxes |
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| Construction | Rigid paperboard exterior with custom full-wrap print |
| Contents | 24 freestanding 3D miniature figurines on textured stone pedestals featuring Tennessee Volunteers players (#1, #7, #16, #27, #92, #99), head coach, Smokey mascot, Neyland Stadium, Ayres Hall tower, and Rocky Top game-day icons |
| Occasion | Christmas countdown, holiday gifting, and festive home decoration |
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Handcrafted to Order
5 - 7 Business Days
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Insured US Priority
5 - 8 Business Days
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Delivered to Hearth
10 - 15 Business Days
Full transit protection on all orders. Contact support within 30 days of delivery for replacement or refund on damaged items.
When did the Tennessee Volunteers play their first football season?
The University of Tennessee fielded its inaugural intercollegiate football team in 1891, making the 2026 campaign the 135th anniversary milestone commemorated across this collector box and its 1891–2026 relics.
How did Smokey become the mascot for the University of Tennessee?
During a 1953 halftime contest organized by the student pep club, a local Bluetick Coonhound named Blue Smokey howled on cue when introduced to the Neyland Stadium crowd and won the vote, starting the live mascot lineage honored on the front box artwork and sculpted SMOKEY figurine.
What campus landmarks and game-day miniatures are included inside the 24-day Tennessee Volunteers set?
Alongside 6 uniformed player sculptures (#1, #7, #16, #27, #92, and #99), a sideline head coach, and Smokey, the 24 compartments include a Neyland Stadium replica, the Ayres Hall clock tower, a Rocky Top sign, a GO VOLS brick wall, a TENNESSEE 135 YEARS ring, an 1891–2026 ticket plaque, a marching snare drum, helmet, football, checkerboard flag, #1 VOLS foam finger, pom-poms, goalpost, megaphone, whistle, and pennant.
Do the 24 Tennessee Volunteers figures stand on their own for desk and bookshelf display?
Yes. Every miniature is cast in three-dimensional relief atop a flat, textured gray stone pedestal without hanging strings, allowing all 24 pieces to stand upright on flat wood, glass, or stone surfaces.
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