Middle Tennessee State University's football team will honor late country music icon Dolly Parton with a special jersey tribute during its season opener next week.
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will feature Parton's signature, her butterfly logo, and the years of her life, '1946-2026', on their uniforms when they play Murray State University on September 5.
Appropriately, the home opener takes place on 9/5, serving as a direct nod to Parton's famous hit song and her starring role in the iconic 1980 movie 9 to 5.
Middle Tennessee Athletics Director Chris Massaro explained that the tribute was created following discussions with head football coach Derek Mason.
"Coach Mason and I were talking about how we can honor one of the great Tennesseans and one of the greatest people in the world," Massaro said in a statement.
"The football team is honored to wear this for our home opener," Massaro added.
Middle Tennessee State University, located in Murfreesboro near Nashville, is renowned for its commercial music and recording industry programs. Although Parton was not an alumna of the university itself, she is widely considered the most famous Tennessean of all time and is beloved across the state.
Special Uniform Tribute and Library Donations
Following the game against the Murray State Racers, the first of the game-worn jerseys will be donated to MTSU's Center for Popular Music. The center has extensively documented Parton's career over the decades and hosted academic discussions about her music.
Charlie Dahan, the director of the Center for Popular Music, praised the addition to the university's permanent collection.
"We can't wait to have this jersey as part of our collection," Dahan said. "We have so much great Dolly stuff, so this is a wonderful addition."
Fans attending the game will also have the opportunity to support Parton's charitable work. A QR code will be beamed onto the stadium scoreboard during the game, allowing spectators to donate directly to Parton's Imagination Library program on the night of the game.
Founded by Parton in 1995, the Imagination Library is a flagship literacy initiative that provides free, high-quality books to children from birth until they start school.
Tributes to the Country Music Icon
The announcement comes after Parton died at the age of 80 on Tuesday following a short battle with cancer. Her family gathered in Nashville on Friday to lay the legendary singer-songwriter to rest.
Parton's death was confirmed in a video posted on Instagram by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who served as her head of security.
She passed away after being admitted on Friday to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville with autoimmune and kidney problems, according to TMZ, before it was later revealed that she had battled an undisclosed form of cancer.
"This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality," Seaver said in the clip.
Seaver lauded his aunt for having "lived in the light," adding that she was now "in the arms of Jesus" and reunited with her late husband Carl Dean, her parents, and "countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens."
Just four days before her passing, Parton told People magazine that she still had "so many things I want to achieve," including plans to launch a new hotel and museum in Nashville.
