Making their first public appearance since their highly publicized engagement, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were all smiles watching his alma mater open its season at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night.
Travis’ brother and fellow University of Cincinnati alum Jason Kelce was also on hand for the Bearcats’ 20-17 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Prior to the game, the two were seen mingling on the Bearcats sideline, where Travis ingratiated himself to a few of his fiancee’s young fans.
‘No Taylor Swift sighting at Arrowhead Stadium but Travis Kelce is still giving some love to the Swifties!’ KETV’s Lauren Michelson wrote on X, where she posted video of the heartwarming moment.
It initially looked like Swift was skipping the Big 12 clash, but she made her customary belated entrance midway through the first quarter to join Travis in the Arrowhead VIP suite. It was there that the Bearcats’ social media team caught her walking off the elevator in a short, pleated skirt and sweater vest.
‘Congratulations,’ one bystander could be heard saying as Swift walked through the room.
Later, the Kelces’ good friends Patrick and Brittany Mahomes also joined the newly engaged couple in the VIP suite, where a few other members of the Kansas City Chiefs were sitting. And for all the talk about a political divide between the pro-Trump Brittany and anti-Trump Swift, the two seemed to be engaged in conversation in the VIP suite.
Taylor Swift cracks a smile as Travis Kelce reacts to the second-half action in Kansas City
(From left) Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce watch the Bearcats’ opener in KC
Flying solo without his new fiancee , Travis was joined by another former Bearcat, his brother Jason, on the sideline ahead of Thursday’s season opener
Taylor Swift is already a regular in the VIP area at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City
The 35-year-old Travis foreshadowed his attendance at the Bearcats’ matchup with Big 12 rival Nebraska during a recent interview with former Cornhusker linebacker Will Compton’s podcast, Bussin’ With The Boys.
‘One-hundred percent. Yeah,’ he said when asked if he’ll be in attendance. ‘It’s right there.’
Travis went on to make a low-stakes wager with the nine-year NFL veteran, Compton, who agreed to wear some Bearcats gear in the event of a Cornhuskers loss.
‘I’ve lost so many f***ing bets that I think I’m due for a win,’ Kelce continued. ‘I think my Bearcats are gonna f***ing, they’re gonna come through, and you guys are gonna have to f***ing come onto ‘New Heights.’ And you’re rocking a f***ing Cincinnati jersey. Whole get-up too. Pants, helmet.’
Taylor Swift looks down to the field as her fiancé offers a much bigger reaction
Travis Kelce and his fiancee Taylor Swift are seen watching the Bearcats at Arrowhead
There were a few bright spots for Kelce during the game, although his Bearcats did lose
The Bearcats’ comeback attempt fell short at Arrowhead, much to Kelce’s dismay
Alas, Compton’s Cornhuskers were ultimately victorious, holding off a Bearcats team that ended 2024 on a five-game losing skid.
The neutral-cite matchup was technically a home game for Cincinnati, but the overwhelming number of attendees were there to support Nebraska.
Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns while completing 33 of 42 passes. The son of former Detroit Lions offensive lineman Dominic Raiola draws comparisons to Mahomes, primarily for his appearance, but did look at home at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday as Nebraska out possessed Cincinnati 39:30 to 20:30.
Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby struggled through the air, completing just 13 of 25 passes and throwing one interception.
He did have a better game on the ground, rushing 17 times for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
One onlooker could be heard saying ‘congratulations’ as Swift walked in at Arrowhead
Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce enjoy a laugh while Travis checks the scoreboard at Arrowhead. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is pictured in the second row with a smile on his face
Despite being from the opposite side of the Buckeye state, the Cleveland-born Kelce brothers both opted to attend Cincinnati, where they helped return the program to national prominence.
Both brothers were members of the 2009 Bearcats, who went 12-0 before falling to fifth-ranked Florida in the Sugar Bowl after head coach Brian Kelly abandoned Cincinnati for Notre Dame in the days following the regular season.
Interestingly, Travis once said he was recruited in high school to play basketball at West Virginia by former Cincinnati coach, Bob Huggins.
The couple’s appearance came hours after Vice President JD Vance worried that the NFL would rig the upcoming season to allow for ‘a Super Bowl wedding.’
Vance was asked about the NFL superstar marrying the singer, who the vice president referred to as ‘the most famous woman in the world.’
‘I will say as a football fan − as a Cincinnati Bengals fan − I hope that the NFL does not put a thumb on the scale for the Kansas City Chiefs just because Travis Kelce is now getting married to maybe the most famous woman in the world,’ Vance told USA Today.
A couple of brothers from Cleveland once turned themselves into NFL prospects at UC
With fans and betting markets anticipating Swift performing at the big game’s halftime show, Vance spelled out what he thought might happen.
‘You guys can’t sort of have this, I’m worried they’re going to have a Super Bowl wedding thing this season,’ Vance said.
‘Can’t do it. The Kansas City Chiefs have to follow the same rules as everybody else.’
Travis wasn’t the only connection between the Chiefs and Thursday’s Big 12 opener.
Kansas City defensive back coach Dave Merritt has son, Derrick, playing linebacker for the Cornhuskers.
Meanwhile former Bearcats safety and current Chiefs star Bryan Cook was spotted on the Cincinnati sideline, as were defensive end George Karlaftis and assistant coach Joe Cullen.