'My Tennessee Mountain Home:' Vols to honor Dolly Parton with helmet decal all season
More than two weeks have passed since country music legend Dolly Parton died at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer, but her influence continues to resonate across Tennessee and beyond.
One of the latest tributes is coming from Tennessee football, which is honoring the beloved singer-songwriter throughout the 2026 season with a special helmet decal.
The tribute serves as a reminder of Parton's deep ties to the Volunteer State and the lasting impact she had on generations of fans, whether through timeless hits such as "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" or her philanthropic efforts, including her widely celebrated Imagination Library, which has provided millions of books to children around the world.
The 18th-ranked Vols debuted their Dolly helmet decal in their commanding 56-9 win over Furman at Neyland Stadium, a historic college football venue where the East Tennessee native now famously performed "Rocky Top" after the first quarter against Georgia in 2023.
It was one of a few ways the Vols are honoring Parton in the season opener at Neyland Stadium, with the other being the playing of Parton's "My Tennessee Mountain Home" going into the fourth quarter.
Tennessee will don the helmet decal again on Saturday in its first road game of the season at Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 12.
The Volunteers are honoring the "Queen of Country Music" with a commemorative helmet sticker throughout the season. The decal features "Dolly" above a butterfly. As noted by the Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, the butterfly has long been associated with Parton and is prominently featured throughout Dollywood. For Parton, the symbol represents freedom, transformation and joy.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel announced the Vols plans to honor Parton with a helmet decal ahead of Tennessee's season opener against Furman.
"I'd be remiss if I didn't also talk about the passing of Dolly Parton," Heupel told media leading into the game. "All that she's meant across the world, this country, and certainly the Queen of East Tennessee. And 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 other people across this country, but certainly here inside the state of Tennessee, too.
"We'll be wearing a sticker patch on the back of our helmet to recognize her accomplishments and everything that she's meant and had an impact here on Tennessee."
Parton's ties to Rocky Top are deep, as was her overall connection to her home state.
In 2023, Parton was escorted onto the field at Neyland Stadium by legendary Vols quarterback Peyton Manning for a heartfelt rendition of "Rocky Top," Tennessee's (unofficial) fight song at the end of the first quarter during an SEC game against Georgia.
"I couldn't hear because my sound went out and the stadium was so loud," Parton said after her performance to CBS Sports' Jenny Dell. "But I was so honored to be here, and I love Peyton, I love the crowd. It's just good to be home."
As noted by Knox News, she also performed several times at Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena, the home arena for the Vols' men's and women's basketball programs, to benefit her book-gifting program, Dolly's Imagination Library.
In 2009, Parton served as Tennessee's commencement speaker, where she was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane and musical letters.
Yes, Middle Tennessee wore a jersey patch for its season opener against Murray State on Saturday, Sept. 5 — a bit of a serendipitous and poetic gesture to Parton's hit "9 to 5" song.
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.
