Darius Rucker donated nearly $3,000 to East Tennessee State University after an "awkward" game day appearance in which he didn't sing hit song "Wagon Wheel" live as promised to fans.

Feel-good melodies and sing-a-long choruses are Rucker's bread and butter, and "Homegrown Honey" features both in spades: The first single to come off his 2015 Southern Style album celebrates a Southern belle whose beauty shines bright, even when she's surrounded by the dazzling lights of the big city.

And it looks like Darius wants to help make it all a little less awkward, because he announced on Twitter (X) this morning that he’s donating a total of $2,980 to the ETSU NIL fund, calculating “$10 for every second I stood at midfield during ‘Wagon Wheel’ thinking it was as awkward as y’all did.”

Country star Darius Rucker made an appearance, but didn’t fulfill the promise the school’s athletic department made. The school has a new tradition at home football games, playing Rucker’s hit song “Wagon Wheel” at the end of the third quarter.

Fans were excited to see Rucker in attendance at the game, but many assumed he would be singing for the crowd. Several voiced their confusion on ETSU' post showcasing the moment. "We all thought he was going to sing but instead 12,000+ people sang to him while he walked in a circle waving and smiling," one shares.

Darius Rucker announced Tuesday that he is donating $2,980 to ETSU's NIL fund following his appearance at Saturday's ETSU football game.The donation is "$10 for every second I stood at midfield during 'Wagon Wheel' thinking it was as awkward as y’all did,