The Farmer's Dog has partnered with five universities—Georgia, Tennessee, UConn, Tulsa, and Washington—in a three-year agreement to provide premium pet food and treats for their iconic live dog mascots. The partnership includes game-day experiences, in-stadium promotions, and athlete collaborations across multiple sports.
- The Farmer's Dog partnered with five universities: University of Georgia (Uga XI), University of Tennessee (Smokey), University of Connecticut (Jonathan XV), University of Tulsa (Goldie), and University of Washington (Dubs)
- The three-year agreement makes The Farmer's Dog the official pet food partner for all five athletic departments
- Partnership includes game-day experiences, in-stadium promotions, athlete collaborations, and tailgate events across football, basketball, baseball, and softball
- The Farmer's Dog funds veterinary nutrition residencies at Georgia and Tennessee to train board-certified veterinary nutritionists
- The mascots have historic legacies, with some traditions dating back over 70 years, including Dubs named 2025 Mascot of the Year
The Farmer’s Dog has announced partnerships with the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee, the University of Connecticut, the University of Tulsa and the University of Washington that center on each school’s live dog mascot: Uga of Georgia, Smokey of Tennessee, Jonathan of UConn, Goldie of Tulsa and Dubs of Washington.
Under the three-year agreement, The Farmer’s Dog will serve as the pet food partner of all five athletic departments and will provide meals and treats for the mascots.
“The Farmer’s Dog building connections with these five schools in particular just makes sense and complements the fandom that already exists with the iconic mascots at each university,” said Shawn Hegan, executive vice president of global partnerships at Learfield. “We’re glad to bring these partners together and create an opportunity for The Farmer’s Dog to become part of traditions that already mean a lot to students, alumni and passionate college sports fans.”
The Farmer's Dog
- Uga XI, University of Georgia Bulldogs: Uga XI, also known as Boom, is the latest in Georgia’s line of live English bulldog mascots, a tradition that began with Uga I in 1956.
- Smokey, University of Tennessee Volunteers: The bluetick coonhound leads the Vols through the Power T on game days in Knoxville, continuing a mascot tradition of more than 70 years.
- Jonathan, University of Connecticut Huskies: The first Jonathan debuted in 1924. Today, 3-year-old Jonathan XV, often joined by his older brother Jonathan XIV, represents the Huskies on campus and at UConn sporting events.
- Goldie, University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane: The golden retriever is beginning her first year at Tulsa and will spend the next four years on campus alongside the class of 2030.
- Dubs, University of Washington Huskies: The 8-year-old Alaskan malamute continues a tradition dating to 1922 and leads the Huskies onto the field before every home game. The Seattle Sports Commission named him 2025 Mascot of the Year.
The partnership includes game-day experiences, in-stadium promotions, athlete collaborations and tailgate events across football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball. At each school, student-athletes will work with The Farmer’s Dog to create content featuring the school’s live mascot.
Altius Sports Partners is advising The Farmer’s Dog on its collegiate strategy and working with Learfield on the multischool partnership.
At Georgia and Tennessee, The Farmer’s Dog also funds residencies in small animal veterinary nutrition that train future board-certified veterinary nutritionists and support research in canine nutrition.
The mascots join a sports roster for The Farmer’s Dog that includes the NFL, New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo, U.S. tennis player Jess Pegula and NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney.
