Cincinnati went wild for Taylor Swift when she brought her Eras Tour to the Queen City last summer. Now with Swift and University of Cincinnati alum Travis Kelce becoming the biggest celebrity couple since Brangelina,Swift-cinnati fever continues to grow.
The highly publicized couple had Swifties everywhere asking: Who is Travis Kelce?
Here’s everything you need to know about the NFL star.
— ESPN (@espn) September 24, 2023Taylor Swift is at Arrowhead Stadium to watch Travis Kelce and the Chiefs 👀
He's a Bearcat
Travis Kelce attended UC from 2008-2012. Now known as one of the top tight ends in NFL history, Kelce actually started his football career in school as a quarterback.
He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, and he’s played there for his entire career.
In 2022, Kelce finished his remaining credit hours to complete his degree — a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Arts and Sciences — making him an official UC graduate. We love to see it!
👊 🐐 @tkelce pic.twitter.com/4i21kDObC2
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) February 7, 2023
So is his brother
Older brother Jason Kelce is also a Bearcat-turned-NFL star. He attended UC from 2006-2010, playing alongside brother Travis during their overlapping years before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011, where he played ever since.
Both are Super Bowl champions
Beyond high-profile dating headlines, 2023 was a huge year for the Kelce brothers. When the Chiefs and Eagles advanced to Super Bowl LVII, Travis and Jason became the first set of brothers to compete against one another in the championship game. Travis and the Chiefs clinched the victory, but some would argue the real winner was their mom.
While that was a first, both Kelces had played in — and won — Super Bowls in the past. This season marks Travis' fourth Super Bowl appearance.
He’s used to the spotlight
Travis Kelce is no stranger to the public eye, on and off the field, so he knows all too well about a life in the spotlight.
In 2016, Kelce’s dating life was put on display in an E! reality show called “Catching Kelce.”
Fresh off his Super Bowl win last year, Kelce flexed his comedy chops hosting “Saturday Night Live.”
For the past year he’s hosted a popular podcast, "New Heights," with his brother Jason. And yes, he talks about Taylor on there.
The brothers also star in a documentary on Amazon Prime Video aptly titled “Kelce.” Originally intended to center on Jason’s final NFL season, the film focuses on the season that brought the brothers to the Super Bowl, as Jason expands his family while considering retirement.
He gives back
Kelce knows that paying it forward brings good karma, and he founded a nonprofit in 2015 as a way to give back. His Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation helps underserved youth through mentorship programs.
In 2022, Kelce launched a health and wellness endowment for UC athletes through his foundation, funding a psychology and counseling department for Bearcats.
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) February 7, 2023"This off-the-field game is every bit as difficult."
In November, @tkelce and his @87Running Foundation launched the Endowment for University of Cincinnati Student-Athlete Health and Wellness.
Join Travis and the #Bearcats in this initiative at https://t.co/Nhpf5S4ezr. pic.twitter.com/I2UECAzXXG
He’s selling out
Or at least his merch is.
After Swift’s appearance at a September Chiefs game — which was the most-watched NFL game— all things Kelce sold like hotcakes, from his merchandise to Chiefs home game tickets. Kelce's seen huge growth in his podcast audience and followers on social media. UC even released a now sold-outlimited-edition Kelce Bearcats jersey. The university can also attribute its own rising ticket and merchandise sales to its recent entrance into the Big 12.
Indeed, everything Swift touches seems to turn to gold. The economic boost seen in cities that hosted her Eras Tour concerts like Cincinnati has been dubbed “the Taylor Swift effect." Call it what you want, her two-concert stop brought approximately $48 millionto Greater Cincinnati.
Whether this is a true love story or just publicity folklore, fans at UC and across the country can’t seem to get enough Swift and Kelce. That includes another Bearcat-gone-pro: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder.
Big for the Swifties & Bearcats pic.twitter.com/XjMeIjtA2P
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 27, 2023
Featured image at top of Travis Kelce/UC Althetics
Become a Bearcat
Whether you’re a first-generation student or from a family of Bearcats, UC is proud to support you at every step along your journey. We want to make sure you succeed — and feel right at home.
