Tennessee football is getting a new fourth-quarter anthem.
The No. 18 Vols' season opener against Furman (1-0) at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) will be filled with tributes to the late Dolly Parton. The beloved "Queen of Country Music" from East Tennessee died on Aug. 25 in Nashville. She was 80.
Tennessee already announced it will wear butterfly helmet stickers in her honor.
Tennessee athletics director Danny White announced Sept. 3 that one of Parton's songs will be the new song played between the third and fourth quarters at Neyland Stadium, but did not reveal which of the legend's hits it would be.
Vol Nation, Saturday is almost here! And it's gonna be a hot one. Please stay hydrated. We’ll have free water fill-up stations
located throughout the concourse. Drink it. Please. I promise it’s free. In addition, our helmet stickers won’t be the only way we honor Dolly on…
— Danny White (@AD_DannyWhite) September 3, 2026
The fourth-quarter song at Tennessee games has been "The Way I Talk" by country music star Morgan Wallen, who graduated from Gibbs, since the 2024 season. Before that, UT's longtime anthem going into the fourth quarter was "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks.
Dolly Parton tributes planned for Vols' season opener
The helmet stickers were announced Aug. 31, and the design was the perfect tribute to Parton. The orange butterfly has Parton's famous "Dolly" signature on it, and it will be worn every game of the 2026 season.
In White's tweet announcing the new fourth-quarter song, he also encouraged fans to stay in their seats for the end of the halftime show by the Pride of the Southland Marching Band.
"In addition, our helmet stickers won’t be the only way we honor Dolly on Saturday," White wrote in the X post. "We've got tributes planned throughout the game and I’d strongly encourage y’all to stay in your seats for the end of the @potsband halftime show (and again in between the third and fourth quarters)."
White did not specify if the change was permanent, but given the helmet sticker is a season-long tribute, it would be reasonable to assume Parton's song will be played at home games for at least the 2026 season.
Top Dolly Parton songs to play before fourth quarter
There are no shortage of iconic tunes by Parton that could be used, but finding one to fit the purpose and aesthetic of a fourth-quarter anthem matters.
Some of Parton's hits-turned-classics like "I Will Always Love You," "Jolene" and "Coat of Many Colors" are a bit slow or don't necessarily fit the vibe of a football game.
Both of Tennessee's previous song choices were a bit more upbeat and fit the bill of a song fans can't help but sing along to. Other examples of game-day anthems are "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty at Florida and "Callin' Baton Rouge" by Brooks Jefferson at LSU.
Parton's most upbeat hits like "9 to 5," "Baby I'm Burnin'" and "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That" are all great choices that should be near the top of the list.
The song that connects closest to Parton's East Tennessee roots is "My Tennessee Mountain Home," and it should certainly be a top candidate. It has a classic country beat, and its chorus is well known enough to count on fans to sing along until it becomes memorized in full.
Songs like "Islands in the Stream," "Here You Come Again" and "Two Doors Down" are also the type of tune that'll get fans singing and would be solid choices.
Should Dolly Parton's rendition of 'Rocky Top' be the choice?
Parton famously attended a Tennessee football game in 2023 to sing "Rocky Top" on the field after the first quarter.
It was an iconic moment in spite of technical difficulties. Parton also recorded a live version of "Rocky Top" for her exclusive Vols edition of her 2023 album "Rockstar." Parton's rendition is incredible, and her voice and style fit the beloved Tennessee anthem perfectly.
But with how often "Rocky Top" is already played, it feels appropriate to play one of Parton's own songs. The point of having a fourth-quarter anthem should be to adopt a song and turn it into a classic that the fanbase claims as its own, and "Rocky Top" is already in that category in a different way.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What we're hearing about Dolly Parton song to be played at Tennessee football games
