Tennessee Smokies return home, rebrand as Knoxville Smokies

A quarter century after leaving Knoxville, Tennessee, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs is returning home and reprising their former name, the Knoxville Smokies. The Smokies, who play in the Southern League, announced this week that with their return to their once and future hometown, the team will change its geographic designation from Tennessee to Knoxville.

With that announcement came an armful of updated logos—though their familiar bear character, originally created by Dan Simon of Studio Simon in 2015, remains largely unchanged. The new suite of logos, design in house, includes a series of type-based marks as well as an alternate mark featuring three stars from the Tennessee state flag.

“With the upcoming move to Knoxville, it is imperative to embrace our new home, while maintaining the Smokies brand,” said Boyd Sports President Chris Allen, quoted on MiLB.com. “It is our desire that the new logo honors the city of Knoxville and the rich tradition of Smokies Baseball.”

The franchise played in Knoxville from 1921 to 1999 under a handful of names, including the Pioneers (1921–1924), Sox (1972–1979), Blue Jays (1980–1992), and two stints as the Knoxville Smokies (1925–1967 and 1993–1999). After the 1999 season, the team moved 20 miles east to the town of Kodak, where they played from 2000 to 2024 as the Tennessee Smokies.