ATLANTA — Tennessee football fans will get two free cookies because Braylon Staley scored a touchdown against Georgia Tech.
Staley is UT's current so-called "Cookie Monster" for Moonshine Mountain Cookie Co., which gives fans two free cookies when the wide receiver scores a touchdown as part of his NIL deal.
The 18th-ranked Vols played Georgia Tech on Saturday, Sept. 12. But fans can pick up their free cookies on Monday, Sept. 14, at Moonshine Mountain Cookie Co. in Knoxville.
Staley's 20-yard TD catch in the second quarter earned the free cookies for UT fans.
Staley is UT's latest "Cookie Monster" for Moonshine Mountain Cookie Co. as part of an annual NIL deal. That ******* le was held by cornerback Alontae Taylor in 2021, wide receiver Cedric Tillman in 2022, wide receiver Bru McCoy in 2023-24 and kicker Max Gilbert in 2025.

#cookies

ATLANTA − Tennessee football fans traveled in force to cheer on the Vols in a Week 2 game against Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Large sections of fans wearing orange were visible among the light gold and white shirts that Yellow Jackets fans were sporting. And the No. 18 Vols received a loud reception when they took the field for final warmups.
"We're only about three hours away from Knoxville. It seems like half of Neyland Stadium made the drive," ESPN play-by-play announcer Bob Wischusen said during the broadcast.
While the Georgia Tech band performed the national anthem, UT fans occupied most of the east side of the stadium. A large contingent of Vols vans were also in the second deck of the north endzone.
There were spots of orange and white spread in every section of Bobby Dodd Stadium save for the Georgia Tech student section.

#dodd

The North Carolina Tar Heels will take on the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on Saturday at Kenan Stadium in a Week 2 college football matchup.
Sep 6, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; East Tennessee State Buccaneers quarterback Jacolby Criswell (6) hands the ball off to running back Khalil Eichelberger (23) during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Date: Saturday, Sept.12, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Channel: ACC Network

#state

It's Week 4 of the Tennessee TSSAA football season. Here is a look at how the teams in the Tennessee High School Football Super 25 rankings fared on Sept. 11.
No. 1. Baylor 35, Trinity (Kentucky), 27
No. 2 Alcoa 56, Knoxville West 7
Milton (Georgia) at No. 3 Battle Ground Academy
Life for Life Academy (Missouri) at No. 4 Brentwood Academy

#academy #life #Football #super

It's Week 4 of the Tennessee TSSAA football season. Here is a look at how the teams in the Tennessee High School Football Super 25 rankings fared on Sept. 11.
No. 1. Baylor 35, Trinity (Kentucky), 27
No. 2 Alcoa 56, Knoxville West 7
Milton (Georgia) at No. 3 Battle Ground Academy
Life for Life Academy (Missouri) at No. 4 Brentwood Academy

#tssaa

The Knoxville Smokies capped the regular-season home slate at Covenant Health Park with a 6-5 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Sept. 6, winning the series four games to two.
Knoxville went 37-31 in home games during the regular season, including three straight wins over the Lookouts to close the final homestand.
"To win the last home series, (it took) a lot of grit, a lot of fight with these guys," Smokies manager Lance Rymel told Knox News. "Hopefully, they'll keep it rolling."
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For the second time in three days, the Smokies opened scoring with a first-inning blast. First baseman Miguel Useche ushered a two-run homer to left-center field for an early Knoxville lead. Right fielder Alex Ramirez doubled the lead with a two-run shot of his own in the second inning.

#series

The Tennessee Volunteers have taken the field once again for another football season, and they've got a new pup leading the charge for glory as Smokey XII.
The 2-year-old − who will celebrate a ceremonial birthday alongside the university on Sept. 10 − follows in the paw prints of his 11 predecessors to become the first rescue dog to ***** ume the role as the University of Tennessee at Knoxville's mascot.
He dashed through the Power T formed by the Pride of the Southland Marching Band to start the season with the Sept. 5 opening game in Neyland Stadium against Furman.
UT unveiled Smokey XII in March after a search began in late 2025 to replace Smokey XI, who had to retire due to a reserved temperament that made him uncomfortable in public.
It was through East Tennessee's bluetick ***** hound rescue community that Smokey veterinarian Dr. Zenithson Ng first learned about Neyland, whose "bold, courageous and outgoing personality" immediately stood out upon meeting the young hound in December. Neyland underwent training to fit comfortably into the position before making his Big Orange debut at the Orange and White spring game.

#tennessee

Nearly every bar around town will be showing Tennessee football's home opener against Furman, but some of our favorite spots to watch the Vols are places where you can see and hear the game.
College football season is the best time of year in Knoxville, and more than 100,000 fans are expected to pour into Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5 as the Volunteers kick off their season against the Paladins. Bars across the city also will be packed with crowds dressed in orange and white.
To save you the hassle of showing up somewhere you can't hear what's happening on TV, here's a quick list of places we know will have the sound on during the game.
Looking for a hole-in-the-wall to kick off the Tennessee football season? Back Door Tavern is a dive bar fixture on Kingston Pike, and it's the place Knox News readers voted Knoxville's best Vols bar in 2025.
With TVs on almost every wall, you shouldn't miss a moment of Tennessee's first game. This bar proudly displays Tennessee flags and signs, as well as Vols memorabilia behind the bar, on the ceiling and above its stage.

#game #showing

The TSSAA heat policy for Tennessee high school football will come into effect with temperatures soaring across the state.
Middle Tennessee is under a "major to extreme heat risk" through Sept. 5, according to the National Weather Service in Nashville. The NWS forecasted a high of 101 degrees on Sept. 3 and 100 degrees on Sept. 4.
The heat index could reach 110 degrees in that span, which is why some TSSAA football Week 3 kickoff times have been pushed back from the traditional 7 p.m. slot. Several high school games in Knoxville have already seen changes in start times.
The TSSAA restricts outdoor football activity when the heat reaches a certain level.
Here's a rundown of the TSSAA heat policy.

#sept #Football #degrees #school

After dropping the opener, the Chattanooga Lookouts evened the Knoxville Smokies' final home series of the regular season with a 5-1 win Sept. 2 at Covenant Health Park.
With the Smokies clinging to a one-run lead in the seventh inning, Lookouts center fielder Austin Hendrick blasted a three-run home run off reliever Marino Santy. It gave the Lookouts their first lead of the series and ruined five scoreless innings from Knoxville starter Brody McCullough.
The Smokies' offense offered little support, managing just four hits and a lone first-inning run.
"It's just a good job by their pitching staff of holding us at bay," Smokies manager Lance Rymel told Knox News. "Just didn't get much going offensively tonight."
Buy tickets to catch the Smokies at Covenant Health Park!

#smokies #lookouts #knoxville #Health

Transfer Rudy Sautron was expected to have a big impact on the Tennessee men's golf program. Little did he know that it would be felt immediately.
The Nebraska transfer was stellar for the Volunteers on Tuesday, signing for 7-under 63 in the final round of the Visit Knoxville Collegiate at Fox Den Country Club to help the hosts storm from behind and claim their home opener for the second year in a row. Sautron finished second individually, teammate Jackson Herrington placed T-7, and Tennessee, down its No. 1 player in Tyler Watts due to the Walker Cup, won by four shots over Memphis.
Tennessee entered the final round trailing by six but carded an impressive 14-under performance, the best score of the final round by eight strokes. Freshman Pennson Badgett signed for a 2-under 68 while Christian Pardue also finished under par with a 69 on Tuesday, and Tennessee jumped six spots on the leaderboard to begin the 2026-27 season with a win.
Sautron was expected to be one of the biggest-impact transfers this season, and right away his addition was pivotal for Tennessee. With world No. 3 amateur Watts in Ireland, it was Sautron and Herrington, the 2025 U.S. Amateur runner-up, leading the way for the final-round charge up the leaderboard.
Chattanooga's Evan Rogers claimed medalist honors at 10 under, topping Sautron by a shot. Second-team preseason All-American Carson Bertagnole, a sophomore at North Carolina, claimed third at 8 under.

#watts

With a pink "9-5" painted behind the batter's box at Covenant Health Park, the Knoxville Smokies honored Dolly Parton and took a 12-3 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts to open the final home series of the regular season Sept. 1.
The tribute to Parton, who died Aug. 25 at age 80, included a pregame moment of silence for the "Queen of Country Music."
"We won another one for Dolly, for sure," Smokies manager Lance Rymel told Knox News.
Smokies pitcher Kevin Valdez retired the first 11 batters of the game until issuing a four-pitch walk in the fourth inning. Knoxville left fielder Carter Trice responded in the bottom of the frame, depositing a three-run blast over the left field fence to put the Smokies on the board first.
The Lookouts cut the deficit to a single run in the sixth inning, but a Karson Simas triple to clear the bases gave Knoxville a 7-2 lead in the bottom half of the inning. Right fielder Alex Ramirez provided the second bases-clearing hit of the night as part of a five-run eighth inning.

#smokies #knoxville #inning #dolly

The Tennessee Volunteers will be honoring Dolly Parton with a helmet sticker this season, coach Josh Heupel announced.
Parton, a Tennessee native, died on Tuesday, Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.
"I'd be remiss if I didn't also talk about the passing of Dolly Parton," Heupel said. "All that she's meant across the world, this country, and certainly, the queen of East Tennessee — a lady that was extremely proud of her roots."
The iconic singer grew up in Sevierville, roughly 30 miles east of Knoxville, where the University of Tennessee is located.
"You look at (Dolly's) impact, you know, just her ability to give back, make an impact to people, certainly here in East Tennessee. She means a lot to people across this country," Heupel said. "We'll be wearing a sticker patch on the back of our helmet to recognize her accomplishments and everything that she's meant."

#dolly #meant

Coastal Florida's insurance surge, flood repricing under Risk Rating 2.0, and post-Surfside condo ***** sments now erase the state's income-tax advantage for retirees.
Tennessee's cost of living index of 92 beats Florida's 103, and the state taxes zero retirement income including Social Security, pensions, and dividends.
A retired Knoxville couple targeting $75,000 a year needs a portfolio of $800,000 to $1.1 million to sustain their plan.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
Ask a room full of near-retirees where they see themselves in five years, and half of them will name a Gulf Coast zip code. Naples, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda. The real question is whether the fixed costs attached to a coastal Florida address leave the rest of the retirement plan intact a decade later. This piece runs the same retirement budget through a specific alternative, defends the pick using the same cost categories, and shows what actually changes when you shift the location.

#coastal #Portfolio #same

The Tennessee high school football season has reached Week 2. The slate of Tennessee high school football games remain primarily TSSAA football non-region for most of the state. Those games that are region contests are denote with an asterisk.
Here are the TSSAA football scores as reported to the TSSAA.
King's Academy 44, Tri-Cities Christian 14 (Thu)
Knoxville Catholic 42, Anderson Co. 21 (Thu)
Loudoun Sports Academy, VA at Baylor

#Football

First came "9 to 5." Then came the business empire, rooted in the place Dolly Parton called home.
Parton, who died Tuesday, was instantly memorialized for her country music fame, glitzy glam and humanitarian touch. At The Old Mill Restaurant in East Tennessee, Tim Fulton was in his office, trying to gauge how many devotees would pour into Dollywood in the coming days.
His restaurant serves up corn grits, barbecue and blackberry cobbler in Sevier County, Tenn., the center of Parton's sparkly empire. Typically, the last weekend of August brings a bit of a lull – right after a popular Jeep expo and just before the Labor Day rush.
Now Parton was gone, a loss he said felt like mourning a family member. He looked up search traffic for flights to nearby Knoxville and expected hotel rooms to book up fast. Indeed, as of midday Wednesday, search interest for "dolly hotel" was up 650% over 24 hours, per Google Trends.
"It may unfortunately turn out to be more of a sad, busy weekend," Fulton said.

#came

Right-hander Luis Rujano moves from the High-A South Bend Cubs to the Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Right-hander Jackson Kirkpatrick joins the South Bend Cubs from the ACL Cubs.
South Bend right-hander Jose Romero was released.
The Iowa Cubs evaded the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 7-3.
It was a terrific start for Kohl Franklin who allowed no runs on two hits over 4.2 innings. Franklin struck out seven and walked just one.

#Cubs #hander #franklin #high

NORMAN — Fifth-year guard B.J. Edwards is currently ineligible to play for the Oklahoma men's basketball team.
The Tennessee Court of Appeals issued an order on Aug. 26 staying the injunction granted to plaintiff athletes, including Edwards, pending appeal.
Edwards committed to the Sooners on Aug. 13 after he was granted eligibility through the Tennessee order that granted a slew of athletes temporary injunctive relief.
The SMU transfer started the Mustangs' first 28 games last season before missing the rest of the season due to injury. Edwards averaged 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 **** ists last season and was the only player nationally with three games of 20 points, five rebounds, five **** ists and five steals.
Edwards played three seasons with the Mustangs after spending his freshman year at Tennessee. A Knoxville native, he scored 2,240 total points at Knoxville Catholic High School.

#granted #knoxville #year #order

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NCAA agreed to reduce Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter's suspension from two games to one over a $427 flight to an NFL training facility during the pre-draft process, Volunteers athletic director Danny White said Tuesday.
White wrote on social media that while he strongly agrees with coach Josh Heupel that the suspension was ridiculous, a one-game suspension for the season opener Sept. 5 against Furman is better than two games — but no suspension would be better in the current environment.
"If players around the country are allowed to leave NFL camps and play college football, the NCAA should do the right thing and drop it all together," White said. "This is yet another example of applying archaic rules from another era, without evolving, and most importantly, putting student-athletes experiences above bureaucracy."
Carter signed with an agent and accepted a flight worth $427.28 while figuring out his draft status. He ultimately withdrew from the draft and returned to Tennessee because of a medical procedure for a foot injury.
The NCAA originally suspended Carter three games, which was reduced after an appeal. The latest reduction means the third-year linebacker and two-year starter will be available when No. 20 Tennessee visits Georgia Tech on Sept. 12.

#draft #flight

On Friday, the day he was scheduled to fly to Knoxville, Tennessee to begin camp as a late addition to the Volunteers, Monty Hunt awoke in his San Diego home to a text.
A Tennessee staff member informed him that he was, as of that morning, no longer eligible.
How could he be eligible one day and not eligible another?
Upon opening social media, he got his answer: A federal appeals court ruled in favor of the NCAA by freezing a Colorado court's sweeping decision to grant all of the 2022 high school class members an additional fifth year of eligibility.
The appeals decision — to stay the lower court's order until the completion of a full appeals process — means that Hunt's lifelong dream, at least for now, is dashed. And so too is the $50,000 in promised NIL compensation and scholarship costs.

#tennessee

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play their first home football game of the season at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at Blankenship Field. The game will be against neighboring rival, the Clinton High School Dragons.
The Wildcats beat the Halls High football team in Knoxville during their debut game of the season, 16-13 in overtime.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Oak Ridge football prepares for home opener against Clinton

#season #blankenship

Here are the candidates for the Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union girls athlete of the week. Voters have until noon on Aug. 27 to submit their responses.
Knox News reserves the right to remove an individual from a poll if it suspects any voting irregularities.
Riley Harris, Alcoa: Harris won the Girls 2 Mile Run in the Coach's Challenge race with a time of 13 minutes, 38.39 seconds.
Brooklyn Major, Bearden: Major scored a goal and had an **** ist in Bearden's 4-0 win over Oak Ridge.
Gianna Notarianni, Catholic: Notarianni scored Catholic's two goals in its 2-0 win over Chattanooga Christian.

#employees #credit

Dolly Parton recently updated fans on her health, days after she canceled her appearance at a Dollywood event. She revealed that she has been going through some "hard times" with her health. She mentioned that while she's healing, she ain't slowing down on work and is keeping busy.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Parton revealed that she has been dealing with some health issues, which she earlier overlooked while taking care of her husband, Carl. Carl Thomas Dean died in March 2025 at age 82. His cause of death remained publicly undisclosed.
Parton mentioned that this wasn't the first time she had health issues. She recalled the instance from the early 1980s, when she dealt with women's health issues for several months. "It's not like I haven't been through hard times with my health. But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn't years ago. I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I'm the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I'm still healin', I'm still workin'," she said.
In addition, she also revealed that she's working on giving fans a unique musical experience. She said that she and her team are collaborating with companies to create "avatar performances," noting that it's still very much in the early stages of development. This health update comes after Parton informed fans that she won't be able to attend the Dollywood event, as her doctor had restricted her from traveling due to health issues. At the time, she told the crowd that she didn't leave Nashville and that she feels dizzy and dehydrated, as seen in a video posted by Knoxville News Sentinel and the Tennessean.
Originally reported by Shazmeen Navrange on ComingSoon.net.

#Health #Social

One Knox SC took the advantage with two goals in the first half before giving up just as many against AC Boise, finishing the game in a 2-2 draw Aug. 22 at Covenant Health Park.
After earning draws with late goal in each of the past two matches, Knoxville fell victim to the tying goal in the 83rd minute to have points stolen away.
"This is deflating because you when you score two goals at home, I expect us to win," head coach Ian Fuller said. "There's a lot to be frustrated with, but certainly not by the buy-in and the fight."
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The match was defined by physicality, which turned into flared tempers in stoppage time. One Knox conceded 24 fouls and was given three yellow cards. Boise conceded 14 fouls and earned two yellow cards.

#goals #cards #covenant

The name, image and likeness collective that connects Tennessee fans with athletes, exclusive experiences and merchandise is opening a store in Knoxville that will sell limited-edition Vols gear.
The Volunteer Club, which supports University of Tennessee athletes through fan memberships and merch sales, announced its first storefront is opening Sept. 4 at 6601 Kingston Pike in Bearden.
The store represents the "next evolution" for NIL, said co-owner Will Crockett, who told Knox News he is launching the concept as a way to bridge the gap between fans and athletes with a physical ***** e for them to interact. In other words, according to a news release, the store will be anything but "another traditional Tennessee apparel shop."
"There are plenty of those already," the announcement said, "and they do just fine."
Former Tennessee running back Travis Stephens will be on hand for the grand opening, which invites fans into a ***** e designed to feel like a piece of Vols history. The Volunteer Club storefront will feature authentic, nostalgic decorations such as a 1930s-era scoreboard on the wall, Crockett said, as well as an old bathroom door and phone booth from Neyland Stadium. A fridge will be stocked with complimentary orange soda and a variety of Tennessee-themed goods.

#fans #athletes #club

Lots of movement over the weekend.
Iowa left-hander Josh Fleming was released.
Iowa right-hander Tyler Santana was activated off the Development List.
Left-hander Ethan Flanagan was promoted to Double-A Knoxville from High-A South Bend.
Outfielder Ethan Conrad was promoted to South Bend from Low-A Myrtle Beach.

#hander #promoted #lots #fleming

A key part of the Tennessee baseball lineup will miss this fall, according to a VolQuest report on Tuesday morning. Blaine Brown, who will be heading into his second season in Knoxville, underwent Elbow surgery on his left-handed pitching arm. Brown is not expected to pitch in 2027 for Tennessee.
The injury occurred while Brown was playing in the Cape Cod league.
Brown is expected to be good to go for the 2027 season, but could be limited to a designated hitter role to begin the year. The transfer from Rice was inconsistent for the Volunteers last season, but the talent is obvious. It's a huge year for Brown, who is heading into MLB Draft eligibility next summer.
After flashing quite a bit early last season, Brown slumped through the midseason. The 6-5, 200 pounder ended up hitting .240 on the year, hitting 13 home runs and driving in 42 runs. Brown also struck out 53 times.
Brown made just four appearances on the mound for Tennessee, starting a handful of midweek games. He's expected to eventually return to the Tennessee outfield once he's healthy again, where he'll be looking to to capitalize on all of that potential we've already seen.

#last #runs #volquest

The UConn women's basketball team, winner of 12 national championships, will renew a slew of rivalries during the non-conference portion of their 2026-27 schedule.
The slate, which was announced Monday, Aug. 17, includes matchups with South Carolina, Tennessee and Notre Dame.
UConn will face Dawn Staley's Gamecocks on Nov. 24 at the Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This will be the first meeting between UConn and South Carolina since the 2026 Final Four where UConn coach Geno Auriemma got upset near the end of the loss that ended the Huskies' perfect season, yelling at Staley before leaving the court.
The Huskies will visit the Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana, on Dec. 9, marking the 58th meeting between the two sides. UConn beat Notre Dame twice last season, once in Storrs, Connecticut, and again in the Elite Eight in Fort Worth, Texas. UConn leads the all-time series 41-16 and the teams are 5-5 over their last 10 meetings.
Tennessee and UConn will square off on Dec. 12 at a still to-be-announced location. The Huskies have won five of the last six meetings with the Lady Vols, with Tennessee's victory coming on Feb. 6, 2025 in Knoxville during Kim Caldwell's first season as head coach.

#uconn #season #carolina #connecticut

Here are the candidates for the Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union top returning girls soccer player in the Knoxville area entering the 2026 TSSAA soccer season. Voters have until noon on Aug. 20 to submit their responses.
Knox News reserves the right to remove an individual from a poll if it suspects any voting irregularities.
Madi Bowlin, Bearden, Sr.: Bowlin earned All-District and All-Region honors last season with 11 goals and 10 ******* ists on Bearden's Class 3A state champion squad.
Kennedy Lucas, Bearden, Sr.: The senior midfielder is entering her fourth year as a starter and finished 2025 with five ******* ists and three goals.
Sophie Keener, Bearden, Sr.: Keener was the state tournament MVP as she helped hold Science Hill, Franklin and Houston scoreless in Bearden's state tournament run. She had 17 total shoutouts and allowed just nine goals.

#keener #assists

NASCAR star Kyle Larson jetted to Iowa after a sixth-place finish at Richmond (Virginia) on Aug. 15, and he arrived in time to earn his fourth Knoxville Nationals championship.
A three-hour rain delay at Knoxville gave Larson the opportunity to compete for the $200,000 first-place cash prize. And he took full advantage, leading all 50 laps for his fourth **** le in six years.
"It's extremely surreal," Larson told KnoxvilleRaceway.com. "It was a range of emotions. Going back the last couple days, I had no emotions. I knew I wasn't going to race, but there was still that glimmer of hope with the rain and the forecast."
Knoxville Nationals media relations contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: NASCAR star Kyle Larson wins 65th running of Knoxville Nationals

#larson #nascar #star #fourth