Retired Tennessee football mascot, Smokey X, diagnosed with kidney cancer

Smokey X, a fixture of Tennessee football games from 2013 to 2023 , has been diagnosed with cancer.

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture announced on Oct. 29 that there was a small mass discovered on Smokey X's kidney during his biannual appointment. It was then revealed through diagnostic sampling of the mass that the mass was a renal carcinoma, which is a type of kidney cancer.

Smokey X is 14 years old . His son, Smokey XI, is in his second season as the Vols' mascot.

There was no timetable given on how much longer Smokey X has, as it is "difficult to predict," according to the news release. It did mention, though, that the oncology service at the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine has examined Smokey X to determine the best palliative care plan for him.

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"He has brought so much joy and pride to our university community over the years, and we are committed to providing him with the highest level of care and compassion," the dean of Tennessee's veterinary college Paul Plummer said in the release . "Our veterinary team is dedicated to ensuring that he remains comfortable and surrounded by love as he continues his journey."

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Retired Tennessee football mascot, Smokey X, diagnosed with kidney cancer