Did a marriage proposal actually happen at The Rock on UT's campus?

The Rock on the University of Tennessee campus is painted in pink, red and white hearts. It's got today's date and a time of 11 a.m. The proposal is spelled out very clearly: "GRACE WILL YOU MARRY ME?"

Turns out, it was a joke between two UT tour guides.

UTK Ambassadors Grace Bosworth and Will Slate were giving a tour together on Thursday morning when they made the normal tour stop at The Rock. 

Slate got down on one knee and "proposed," before the two laughed it off and hugged in front of the tour. They aren't dating, but did it as a joke before Valentine's Day.

"This is the greatest thing I've ever experienced," Bosworth joked on Instagram. 

While it ended up not being real, it's a nice diversion from one of the gloomiest weeks we've had in a while here in Knoxville. 

From sweet to and controversial, messages on The Rock have kept students, staff and locals talking for decades. 

In 1966, The Rock was unearthed and given a name, albeit a simple one. Painting it started around 1980, and it has become one of UT's favorite traditions. Anyone with supplies can paint The Rock, any time they wish to do so.