College Football Program Announces Decision to Honor Country Music Icon Dolly Parton

The death of cultural icon Dolly Parton aroused tremendous sympathy and remembrance around the country and the world, and now a college football program based near where she grew up is joining the commemoration as the 2026 season kicks off.

Middle Tennessee State has announced that it will wear a memorial patch dedicated to Parton for its first game on Sept. 5 against Murray State.

With Dolly on our hearts.@MT_FB will wear a commemorative jersey to honor Dolly Parton during its home opener against Murray State on 9/5.#TrueBlue pic.twitter.com/ZyGJblOy18
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) August 28, 2026

MTSU pays tribute to Dolly

Parton died this week after a brief illness at the age of 80, unleashing a tidal wave of tributes and appreciation for her musical career and philanthropic work.

The country music icon, actress, and humanitarian leaves a massive legacy particularly in her home state of Tennessee, and the Blue Raiders program will honor it by donating their Dolly themed jersey to the Center for Popular Music after the game.

“Coach Derek Mason and I were talking about how we can honor one of the great Tennesseans and one of the greatest people in the world. The football team is honored to wear this for our home opener,” MTSU athletic director Chris Massaro said in a statement.

Dolly Parton leaves a tremendous legacy

College Football Program Announces Decision to Honor Country Music Icon Dolly Parton — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Parton became a legend initially in the country music world and then internationally with a long string of hits, including “9 to 5,” the theme of a blockbuster film in which Parton make her screen debut in 1980, “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You,” which was later covered by Whitney Houston, among other notable performers.

Those latter two tracks were featured on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs ever written, as was “Coat of Many Colors,” a personal work of Parton’s that was inspired by her upbringing in rural Tennessee.

Her famous duet, “Islands In the Stream,” performed alongside Kenny Rogers, also features among the many hit songs Parton released during her more than 60-year career.

A tireless philanthropist

Parton’s legacy would come to far exceed the music industry, as she also dedicated much of her life and fortune to a series of charitable causes, particularly in the state of Tennessee.

Among those initiatives is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which, as part of the Dollywood Foundation, mails one book per month to children from the time they are born to when they begin kindergarten, an effort that has been hailed as improving childhood literacy.

Parton also raised millions for the American Red Cross and through the establishment of the Dollywood Resorts, has helped bring employment and economic benefit to the eastern part of Tennessee near where she was raised.

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