Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State to honor the late Dolly Parton with helmet sticker, uniform patch
· Yahoo Sports
Tennessee legend Dolly Parton sadly passed away on August 25, 2026, at 80 years old.
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Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, and always had incredibly strong ties to the state. Tennessee's sports teams are not letting that go unnoticed.
University of Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel announced on Monday that the Volunteers will honor the late Parton this season with stickers on the back of their helmets.
The sticker will be an orange butterfly with the word "Dolly" written in the middle.
Tennessee's Dolly Parton sticker: https://t.co/HS0cXiGXJdpic.twitter.com/zStmvLCdvN
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) August 31, 2026
Parton has always used a butterfly as her personal emblem and logo, especially at her Tennessee-based theme park "Dollywood."
The country singer said in a 2021 interview with W Magazine that she had loved butterflies her whole life. As a child, she said she was amazed by how beautiful they were and that they didn't sting, and she would get lost in the woods chasing them.
The Volunteers are not the only collegiate football program in the state to honor Parton.
Middle Tennessee State announced that they will wear a commemorative jersey patch at their home opener against Murray State. The patch is Parton's signature: her first name, followed by a butterfly and the years of her life.
While the gestures from both Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State are already wholesome in paying respects to the legend, it feels even more poignant when you consider the date of their home openers.
Both the Volunteers and the Blue Raiders will open their respective seasons on Saturday, September 5, also known as 9/5.