Vols Honoring Armed Forces
photo by UT Sports
Tennessee’s defining pillar of service and selfless leadership for more than 200 years, the “Volunteer Spirit” provides the inspiration behind the newest Nike Smokey Grey series football uniform that will honor the United States Armed Forces during the fall of 2025.
The “Volunteer Spirit” uniform also pays tribute to the ultimate legendary Volunteer, Davy Crockett, and was brought to life in collaboration with the Tennessee Military Department, the 134th Air Refueling Wing in East Tennessee and the Tennessee National Guard.
The Volunteers will wear their newest Smokey Grey series threads on Nov. 15 when they host New Mexico State for the annual Salute to Service game, which honors our nation’s service members, veterans and their families. The Homecoming contest is four days after Veterans Day.
For centuries, Volunteers have answered the call on the front lines to protect our freedom. Crockett and over 30 Tennesseans made a heroic last stand at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. “The Davy Stripe,” a modern take on Crockett’s famous, fringed uniform in grey, flanks the orange center stripe of the helmet and is prominently displayed on the sleeves of the jersey.
A striking, two-tone Smokey grey jersey and pants combination resembles a similar look of steel forged from military artillery. Volunteers is proudly etched across the chest of the jersey. Each stitch woven into the fabric of the uniform serves as a tribute to the state’s rich military heritage. Sharp, stencil numbers on the front, back and shoulders of the jersey, as well as the back of the helmet, are inspired by military standard font.
The popular “Star Vols” logo returns for the first time since the turn of the century. It appears as both a military-inspired patch on the front of the pants and on the front helmet bumper.
Tennessee’s in-house creative agency, 151 Creative, worked in conjunction with the UT equipment staff and Nike to create the new uniforms. One of the unique pieces of the project was the conception of a “Volunteer Spirit” Tennessee Tri-Star logo as an homage to the 134th Air Refueling Wing. The creative team brought all of the elements to life during a content shoot in May thanks to the service members at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base.
“The Volunteer Spirit” is the fourth ideation of the Smokey Grey series, which launched in 2022. That fall, Tennessee wore the “OG” Smokey grey look in a historic road game victory at LSU. In 2023, the Vols donned the “Artful Dodger” uniform as a tribute to legendary VFL Condredge Holloway, the first Black player to start at quarterback for an SEC program. UT opened the 2024 campaign against Chattanooga in the “Volunteer State” uniform, an ode to the state and Tennessee’s status as the flagship university with the Tri-Star state emblem serving as the centerpiece.