USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect/Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Dolly Parton next to Tennessee football helmet
Last week, the world lost an icon when Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80. The country music legend was shaped by her upbringing in her native Tennessee, and the football team at the state’s flagship university will be paying tribute to her memory with a sticker that will grace their helmets this season.
There aren’t many celebrities who are able to earn the “Universally Beloved” label, but Dolly Parton did exactly that during the eight decades she spent on the planet.
Parton was born and raised in Tennessee, and that’s where she’ll be laid to rest after passing away in Nashville on August 25th. She initially made a name for herself as a singer who crossed paths with Johnny Cash at the Grand Ole Opry as a teenager, and she eventually branched into acting and opened up her very own theme park, Dollywood, in 1986.
The reactions to her death highlighted the impact she managed to make not only with her career in entertainment but the lives she touched with the admirable causes she championed while leveraging her fame and fortune, including the untold amount of money she donated and helped raise to support children and families in need in eastern Tennessee (where she endured extreme poverty when she was growing up).
She left behind an impressive legacy, and Tennessee’s football team is going out of its way to keep it alive this season.
Tennessee will rock a special helmet sticker in honor of Dolly Parton during the 2026 football season
Parton didn’t go to college, as she moved to Nashville after graduating from high school to pursue her musical career. However, “Doctor Dolly” received an honorary degree from the University of Tennessee when she delivered the commencement speech in 2009.
She was also invited to a game at Neyland Stadium in 2023, as Peyton Manning escorted her onto the field before she belted out a rendition of “Rocky Top” with the school’s marching band.
On Tuesday, the Volunteers announced Parton will have a presence at every game they play in 2026, as the school unveiled a helmet sticker featuring an orange butterfly (the insect she embraced as a special symbol with ties to her childhood) emblazoned with her first name.
For Dolly. 🦋
A commemorative helmet sticker will be worn to honor Dolly Parton for every game this season. pic.twitter.com/A1mBw9ZqxZ
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 31, 2026
The team isn’t the only one going a similar route, as Middle Tennessee will also be wearing a jersey patch in her honor during their season opener against Murray State on September 5th.
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