Tennessee is making sure its tribute to Dolly Parton is impossible to miss on Saturday.
The Vols already planned to wear butterfly stickers on the backs of their helmets, but athletic director Danny White said Thursday that the recognition will stretch well beyond that. Tennessee has tributes lined up throughout the game, including the Pride of the Southland’s halftime show, and White also revealed that the school will play a Dolly Parton song during the fourth-quarter introduction.
White didn’t say whether that song choice is meant to last beyond Saturday’s season opener. Tennessee has been using Morgan Wallen’s “The Way I Talk” since the 2024 season, so the fourth-quarter music could be a one-game nod or the start of something longer.
“Our helmet stickers won’t be the only way we honor Dolly on Saturday,” White posted to X. “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 Pride of the Southland halftime show (and again in between the third and fourth quarters).”
The helmet tribute was announced earlier in the week by head coach Josh Heupel, who said Monday that the Vols would wear special Dolly Parton-themed stickers on the back of their helmets for the entire season.
“And be remiss if I didn’t also talk about the passing of Dolly Parton,” Heupel said on Monday. “All that she’s meant across the world, this country, and certainly the Queen of East Tennessee.
A lady that was extremely proud of her roots. You look at her impact, just her ability to give back, make an impact to people, certainly here in East Tennessee.
She means a lot to people across this country, but certainly here inside the state of Tennessee, too. So we’ll be wearing a sticker patch on the back of our helmet to recognize her, her accomplishments, and everything that she’s meant and (her) impact here on Tennessee.”
Tennessee also shared the helmet sticker tribute on social media with the message, “For Dolly. 🦋”
A commemorative helmet sticker will be worn for every game this season, and the school’s plans now appear to go even further. Parton’s connection to Tennessee football already includes her version of “Rocky Top” being played during a home game in the 2023 season.
Her passing last week drew tributes far beyond Knoxville. New York City lit the Empire State Building pink, and the Kings Guards played 9 To 5 outside of Buckingham Palace in her honor. Across the week, messages have continued to pour in recognizing both her impact and her generosity.
That generosity was a major part of her legacy, from Dolly’s Imagination Library to her support for families after the 2016 wildfires in Sevier County. Now, Tennessee is folding her name into the football season itself, with her presence set to be felt all year long.
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