Tennessee football will wear a helmet sticker to honor the late Dolly Parton, the beloved "Queen of Country Music" who sang "Rocky Top" in Neyland Stadium.
Coach Josh Heupel announced the tribute during his press conference on Aug. 31. The 18th-ranked Vols will play Furman on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/SEC Network+) at Neyland Stadium to open the 2026 season.
Parton died on Aug. 25 in Nashville. The East Tennessee native was 80 years old.
Tributes from around the world followed Parton's death, including in college football. MTSU football will wear a special patch on its jerseys on Sept. 5 against Murray State.
But the Vols honoring Parton at Neyland Stadium, in the heart of East Tennessee, is a no-brainer.
Her roots, many of her songs and her unmatched
philanthropy grew out of this area. She proudly carried her love for East Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains wherever she went. And she built Dollywood, her popular theme park in Pigeon Forge.
Parton performed several times over the years at UT's Thompson-Boling Arena, usually to benefit Dolly's Imagination Library, her book-gifting program for children.
In 2009, she became "Doctor Dolly" upon receiving an honorary degree from UT recognizing her remarkable songwriting career and philanthropic work through the Imagination Library.
And in 2023, Parton sang "Rocky Top" at Neyland Stadium along with the UT choir during the Vols' game against Georgia. She was led onto the stage in the south end zone by iconic Vols quarterback Peyton Manning. Now her presence will return to the home of the Vols with their tribute.
Devarrick Turner and Keenan Thomas contributed to this report. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football to honor Dolly Parton with helmet sticker
