The Tennessee Volunteers wore orange butterfly decals bearing Dolly Parton's name on their helmets Saturday against Furman, a tribute to the East Tennessee native who died at 80.
Head coach Josh Heupel announced the decals would remain on players' helmets throughout the season.
"All that she's meant across the world, this country, and certainly the Queen of East Tennessee," Heupel told ESPN. "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."
The most striking moment came during the game when Neyland Stadium fell quiet and the scoreboard lit up to play "I Will Always Love You," Parton's 1974 hit. Gradually, then all at once, approximately 102,000 fans sang together at full voice.
The stadium typically plays Morgan Wallen's "The Way I Talk" during the fourth quarter. On Saturday, they switched to Parton's "My Tennessee Mountain Home," a song about belonging.
Parton spent decades giving back to East Tennessee through the Imagination Library she founded and work with local charities. She maintained close ties to the region throughout her six-decade career that touched nearly every corner of American culture.
Whether the helmet decals become a permanent fixture for future Tennessee teams remains unclear, but the stadium tribute suggested a tradition taking shape around a figure who mattered most to the community.
