The costumed Smokey began competing in the College National Mascot Championships in the early 1990s, and in 2000 first won the national championship in the contest. Schools send in two-minute tapes of their mascots doing community service, visiting with children, and other instances of interacting with people. Twelve schools are selected to compete by presenting a skit at the championships. Smokey won the first national championship in 2000 and followed with a back-to-back win (a different human occupying his “skin”) in 2001.