Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love story has fans just saying yes, with Swifties, dads, Brads, and Chads alike following every detail of the relationship between the Super Bowl–bound Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the pop star. What began as a supposedly failed attempt from Kelce to slip Swift his phone number after seeing her perform is now a full-blown relationship, complete with an on-field celebration, holidays spent together, hanging out with the parents—the whole nine yards. Forget “you’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess,” Swift isn’t just the queen of pop, she’s now undeniably the queen of the Chiefs’ kingdom. (With apologies to the Eagles sweatshirt hanging from the door of yesteryear, it’s pretty clear where her allegiances now lie.)

It’s fascinating to watch two people at the top of their respective games navigate their relationship and support one another in their careers as well, literally cheering each other on at concerts and games aplenty. So much has happened, it’s hard to believe that it’s been less than a year since that first “Wait, what’s she doing here?” when Swift popped up in the VIP suite at Arrowhead Stadium.

Ahead—a timeline of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship and the road to the Super Bowl.

July 8, 2023: Travis attends Taylor’s Eras Tour in Kansas City

Travis has earned his Swiftie stripes: Along with bestie-slash-Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany Mahomes, Travis headed to his home turf at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City for the second night of Swift’s planned two-show stint of the Eras Tour. On the July 26, 2023 episode of New Heights, the podcast he cohosts with older brother Jason Kelce, the center for the Philadelphia Eagles, Travis revealed that he’d tried and failed (or so we thought!) to shoot his shot with Swift.

“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings. So I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her,” he said. “I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.”

“She doesn’t meet anybody, or at least, she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal,” he said. “But it was an unbelievable show.”

Jason had a theory about the reason for the brush-off: “She probably just hasn’t gotten over the Super Bowl yet. She’s a big Eagles fan, so maybe she just made something up and just didn’t want to talk to you,” Jason Kelce said.

As we know now, that was far from the final bow for these two.

September 20, 2023: Jason Kelce accidentally confirms romance rumors about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

You can always count on a sibling to razz you into oblivion, but when you’re the Kelce brothers, it might just mean the accidental first confirmation of your rumored relationship.

As we now know, Taylor and Travis had been hanging out on the low-low since after that fateful July concert, as Taylor revealed in her TIME Person of the Year interview, saying, “This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” she says. “We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other.”

Back in September, however, there were only vague rumors from unnamed sources that the two had been “quietly hanging out.” Less quiet: Jason’s interview with a sports talk radio show where he’s put on the spot about Travis’s possible romance, tries to say nothing—and says something.

“It’s hard to answer because I don’t know what’s happening in Travis’s love life, and I try to keep his business his business and stay out of that world,” he said. “But having said that, man, I think they’re doing great, and I think it’s all 100% true, and I hope that this thing goes the mile.”

He quickly tried to walk it back, laughing awkwardly and muttering, “Nah, I’m joking, I don’t know what’s going on,” but he did, in fact, know, and was not, in fact, joking, as was proved a mere four days later.

September 24, 2023: Taylor Swift goes to her first Chiefs game, Chiefs v. Chicago Bears in Kansas City, Chiefs win 41-10

Wait, who’s that in the VIP box at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City? Taylor Swift, that’s who! In a big twist, Taylor and Travis pulled the old hut-hut-hike and hard-launched their relationship during the Chiefs’ home game against the Chicago Bears, where the Chiefs pulled out a 41-10 victory. Swift sat with Travis’s mom, Donna Kelce, and was seen executing a pro-level celebratory chest bump and enjoying chicken tenders with a dip that will go down in history as “seemingly ranch.” As equally important as her condiment choice: Taylor and Travis left the stadium together after the game, literally driving off into the sunset in Travis’s convertible.

On the New Heights episode following the game, Travis spoke about his guest.

“Shout-out to Taylor for pulling up,” Travis said. “That was pretty ballsy. I just thought it was awesome how everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her, the friends and family. She looked amazing, everybody was talking about her in great light, and on top of that, the day went perfect for Chiefs’ fans, of course. We script it all, ladies and gentlemen. It was impressive.”

“To see the slow-motion chest bumps, to see the high fives with mom, to see the Chiefs kingdom was all excited she was there, that was absolutely hysterical, and it was definitely a game that I’ll remember, that’s for damn sure.”

He kept his comments about Swift minimal and said that he planned to keep it that way. “What’s real is that it is my personal life, and I want to respect both of our lives.”

As we later learned, the two had been getting to know each other for months before Swift slipped on that red windbreaker and hung out with Travis’s mom, subsequently boosting Travis’s jersey sales by a reported 400% in the days following.

“By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple,” she told TIME later. “I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard-launch a first date.”

October 1, 2023: Taylor brings all her A-List pals to New Jersey, Chiefs v. New York Jets in East Rutherford, Chiefs win 23-20

Proving that trip to the Midwest wasn’t a one-time thing, Swift showed up to see the Chiefs play the Jets in New Jersey, and she didn’t show up alone. In a real “Welcome to New York” move, Swift, clad in black, took in the action with Brittany Mahomes as well as Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Deadpool director Shawn Levy (who later said that it was “almost depressing” to watch football with Swift because that’s what people will remember him for), Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter, Ashley Avignone, Robyn Lively, and Antoni Porowski. The Chiefs took home a W, and the crowd went wild.

October 12, 2023: Miss Merch, Chiefs v. Denver Broncos in Kansas City, Chiefs win 19-8

After missing out on seeing the Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings the weekend before, Swift returned to Kansas City to take in the Thursday night game against the Denver Broncos, whom the Chiefs also defeated. Swift took things up a notch outfit-wise: During the first two games, she was neutral yet festive, wearing a cherry red jacket once and non-committal black another time. Now: We’ve got merch, baby. Swift wore a Chiefs windbreaker that was part of a collection designed by sports journalist Erin Andrews. Swift hung out with Travis’s mom again, as well as Brittany Mahomes. Andrews, in reaction to the jacket, absolutely lost it, writing on her Instagram story, “I’M CRYING HAPPY TEARS.” Of course, she was probably pumped about her soothsaying abilities as well: Back in August, before the relationship was made public, Andrews posted a video urging Swift to give Kelce a shot. Wishes do come true.

October 14: Live from New York, it’s Taylor and Travis’s date night!

The two hit the town in New York during Kelce’s rare weekend off, making a surprise appearance at Saturday Night Live. Travis, who took on host duties a year ago, made a cameo in a sketch, and Swift introduced musical guest Ice Spice. Even SNL didn’t know the two were coming through until immediately before. They made a weekend of it; the two were spotted heading to the show’s afterparty on Saturday and holding hands on a dinner date on Sunday.

In response to photos of himself shepherding Swift into a car and acting as sort of supplementary security detail, Travis said on New Heights, “Whenever I’m on a date I feel like, I’m always having the sense of, ‘I’m a man in this situation,’ I’m protective, yeah, sure,” he said. “You always have that kind of feeling, that self-awareness, I guess.… You’ve just gotta know where the exits are.”

Late October 2023: Fences make the best neighbors 

As Travis Kelce’s profile continues to grow thanks to interest in his relationship with Swift, the Chiefs player moved into a new home in Kansas City, reportedly choosing the sprawling home for its increased privacy. (It also has its own mini golf course.)

Jason, for his part, couldn’t help but let his protective-big-brother side creep out in an interview.

“It’s certainly been weird, the level that it is now,” he said. “On one hand, I’m happy for my brother that he seems to be in a relationship that he’s excited about, that he is genuine about. But there’s another end of it, where it’s like, ‘Man, this is a lot.’ There’s paparazzi talking about him fueling his car before the game today, and I’m like, ‘Is that really necessary information to share?’”

“There’s some, I think, alarms sometimes with how you know, over-in-pursuit people can be,” Jason said. “Overall, he can deal with some of this. As long as it’s not, you know, becoming a threat to his safety and things like that.”

October 22, 2023: The not-so-secret WAG handshake, Chiefs v. Los Angeles Chargers in Kansas City, Chiefs win 31-17

In yet another jaunt to Kansas City, Swift took in another Chiefs win while wearing a vintage Chiefs sweatshirt and a friendship bracelet featuring Kelce’s jersey number surrounded by beads with hearts. She also reached a new level of WAG-dom by debuting an elaborate celebration handshake with Brittany Mahomes after a touchdown, all under the watchful toddler eye of Mahomes’s daughter, Sterling.

Late October 2023: Public opinions

You can’t make everyone like you, but Travis’s dad, Ed Kelce, lent his endorsement to Swift.

In an interview, he called their relationship “just great,” and said that Swift is “very genuine.” He also, notably, loves that Swift “realizes how committed Travis is to sleep, 10 hours a day.” He also recounted his first meeting with Swift and how she surprised him.

“We’re sitting in the suite, she gets up and in the front room, she gets up to go get a drink or something and she starts picking up empty bottles, cans, plates that are scattered around. Because in the suites everybody gets stuff and you empty it down wherever you can.”

“And I’m just thinking, I don’t think she got the diva memo. She didn’t get the spoiled musician. She doesn’t know how to pull that off. And that really to me said a whole lot.”

Perhaps less of a fan? Travis’s ex-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole. Without naming specific names, she sang the praises of therapy, as well as shared a video of herself reading an open letter to those going through “backlash and embarrassment.”

“I’m so thankful for therapy because had I not done that, I don’t know how I would be reacting in the moment right now. No clue,” she said in another interview. As for the advice she’d give 2022 Kayla Nicole, she said, “Buckle the fuck up, sweetie. You thought the worst had already come, but buckle up and take all of the tools right now and put them in your bag, because you’re going to need them.”

November 1, 2023: Halloween costumes are “cool”

You dressed up as Taylor and Travis for Halloween like everyone else? Travis thinks that’s “cool.” 

November 11, 2023: The guy on the Chiefs goes to Argentina

Taylor and Travis go international: As Swift resumed her Eras Tour abroad, Travis, conveniently, had a bye week and didn’t have to play. He headed to Buenos Aires, where a weather delay pushed Swift’s planned concert, so the two had dinner. The next night, he took in her concert, standing shoulder to shoulder with dad Scott Swift, who was incredibly psyched when Taylor swapped a lyric in “Karma” to reference Travis, singing that “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me.” Travis, too busy vibing, left Papa Swift hanging for a high five, an error he regrets.

“Yeah, Mr. Swift, I apologize, big guy,” Travis said on New Heights after the trip. “Man, I missed that. I never miss a high five too, big high five guy. It’s the most electric thing you can do at an event. I’m sorry, Mr. Swift.”

Also electric: Swift’s epic and adorable sprint from the stage straight into Travis’s arms when she finished her show, planting a big kiss on him and spinning around. A hall of fame moment.

Despite their increasing public displays of affection (a stark contrast to Swift’s previous long-term relationship with the notably private actor Joe Alwyn), Travis holds strong on not oversharing. In an interview with WSJ. Magazine he says that his rule with Swift is “make sure I don’t say anything that would push Taylor away.”

“Obviously, I’ve never dated anyone with that kind of aura about them…. I’ve never dealt with it,” he said. “But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it…. The scrutiny she gets, how much she has a magnifying glass on her, every single day, paparazzi outside her house, outside every restaurant she goes to, after every flight she gets off, and she’s just living, enjoying life. When she acts like that, I better not be the one acting all strange.”

Though Swift had reportedly planned to attend a matchup between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles when she was set to have a night off, one of her shows in Brazil was rescheduled for the same night as the game after dangerously hot weather resulted in a fan’s death. After her Brazil shows were completed, the last scheduled Eras Tour stops for 2023, Swift reportedly hopped on a plane and headed straight back to Kansas City.

December 3, 2023: Experiencing loss, Chiefs v. Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Chiefs lose 19-27

As they say, you can’t win ’em all, and that’s true for the Chiefs too. Swift witnessed her first Chiefs loss in person in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the team faced the Packers. Swift reportedly gave Brittany Mahomes a lift to the game in her plane as well.

December 6, 2023: Cat person of the year

Swift was announced as Time’s Person of the Year for 2023 and sits for a rare profile interview, where she firms up her timeline with Kelce a bit, confirming that the friendship bracelet play actually kind of worked and that the two had been getting to know one another for months before that fateful first appearance in the VIP box at Arrowhead.

“This is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most creatively fulfilled and free I’ve ever been,” she said of her overall vibe. And? “Football is awesome, it turns out. I’ve been missing out my whole life.” Less awesome are the “dads, Brads, and Chads” she called out, and their criticism of her being shown during broadcasts: “I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in,” she said. “There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once.”

December 10, 2023: Lose some, lose some, Chiefs v. Buffalo Bills in Kansas City, Chiefs lose 17-20

Swift and a cool Chiefs sweatshirt made their way back to Kansas City for a second loss for the Chiefs. The couple didn’t let that get in the way of kicking off the holiday season, however, and were captured sharing a picture-perfect kiss at a holiday party.

December 13, 2023: An A-list B-Day without the BF

As Swift kicked off celebrations of her 34th birthday with a series of star-studded outings in New York City, Kelce was stuck in Kansas City at mandatory practice with the team.

December 17, 2023: Daddy-daughter date,
Chiefs v. New England Patriots in Foxborough, Chiefs win 27-17

Father knows best, which is why Taylor brought her dad, Scott Swift (and Alana Haim), to New England with her to watch the Chiefs face off against the Patriots, eventually snagging a win. Her dad, who is an old pal of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, was spotted handing out birthday cake to adjacent suites. Taylor shook off a few stray boos from fans when she was shown on the Jumbotron, and Kelce tried to do the same, but later, discussing the game on his podcast, he couldn’t help but gush about how “amazing” Swift is.

“There might have been a few Brads and Chads that were booing,” he said, “but for the most part, everybody was fucking screaming their tail off for her.”

December 25, 2023: Merry Swiftsmas, Chiefs v. Las Vegas Raiders in Kansas City, Chiefs lose 14-20

Santa didn’t bring the Chiefs a win on Christmas day against the Las Vegas Raiders, but it did bring Swifties both confirmation that Taylor and Travis celebrated the holiday together, as well as Taylor sporting a Santa hat stamped with Travis’s 87 jersey number, which is all anyone could hope to find under the tree.

December 31, 2023: …And a Happy New (Heights) Year, Chiefs v. Cincinnati Bengals in Kansas City, Chiefs win 25-17

The Chiefs weren’t out of the running, and Swift wasn’t out of the state, sticking around to watch the Chiefs win against the Cincinnati Bengals at home on New Year’s Eve before heading out to a party with Travis, the Mahomeses, and other friends and family. Their sweet kiss to ring in 2024 was caught on camera, turning the page on a new year and a new era for their relationship.

January 7, 2024: So close, yet so far

Though Kelce and the Chiefs were across town in Los Angeles playing against the Chargers, schedules intervened and kept Taylor and Travis apart. See, Taylor had other plans: She was nominated for a Golden Globe for box office achievement related to her film version of the Eras Tour, and hit the red carpet solo in a shimmering green Gucci gown at the awards ceremony.

January 13, 2024: Cold Game, warm feelings
Chiefs v. Miami Dolphins in Kansas City, Chiefs win 26-7

Taylor showed up in Kansas City in a ginormous custom Chiefs puffer jacket (twinning with pal Brittany Mahomes, naturally) to take in the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, against the Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs again pulled out a win, and Swift debuted a scarf story to rival the legendary red “All Too Well” knitwear, gifting her own accessory to a fan who looked cold.

January 21, 2024: Jason Kelce gains Taylor Swift’s friendship, loses his shirt,
Chiefs v. Buffalo Bills in Buffalo, Chiefs win 27-24

Swift has spent plenty of time on record with Travis Kelce’s parents, but this postseason bout in Buffalo, a rematch with the Bills, was her first chance to hang out with big brother Jason, whose wife Kylie Kelce warned him to be on his “best behavior” to meet Swift.

Naturally, Jason took the opportunity to live life to the fullest, taking a shot out of a bowling ball at a tailgate before the game, spending most of his time in the VIP box shirtless and pounding beers, and also spending plenty of time out of the VIP box, having staged an escape to celebrate his brother’s on-field exploits, lift children in the air, and deliberately disobey his wife.

But you know what? He won Swift over as surely as the Chiefs won the game and advanced in the postseason.

“The best first impression is the worst impression ever, so you can just build from there,” Travis said on the podcast following the game, adding, “Tay says she absolutely loved you, so anyway.”

January 28, 2024: A super smooch for the Super Bowl, Chiefs v. Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Chiefs win 17-10

Swift and Jason Kelce (who wore his shirt the entire game) were once again on hand, along with the extended family crew, to watch Travis and the Chiefs clinch a berth in the Super Bowl for the second year straight, defeating the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Swift rushed onto the field to celebrate with her beau, and the two were caught on camera sharing passionate kisses and beaming at one another. In footage, Kelce can be heard telling Swift, “I love you. So much.” Swift, in turn, told him, “I’ve never been so proud of anyone, ever,” before sending him off to celebrate with his teammates.

February 11, 2024: A Super Bowl victory, sealed with a kiss, Chiefs v. San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas, Chiefs win 25-22

The season finale of the Swift and Kelce show was a satisfyingly heart-warming one, playing out over a series of weeks and culminating in a big, confetti-drenched celebration. On February 4, Swift attended the Grammys solo (Kelce was with the Chiefs, preparing for the Super Bowl), where she announced the title and release date for her upcoming new album, The Tortured Poets Department, scooped up Grammys No. 13 and 14, and took home her fourth Album of the Year trophy to break the all-time record for the category. She then jetted off to Tokyo for a four-night run of concerts on the international leg of her Eras Tour, leaving the world wondering whether she'd make it to Las Vegas to see Kelce play in the Super Bowl, 17-hour time difference and all. 

Spoiler: She made it. Swift arrived at Allegiant Stadium dressed for battle, wearing all black accessorized with sparkling homages to Kelce and the Chiefs, carrying a bedazzled, football-shaped purse emblazoned with Kelce's jersey number. She watched the tense game with Ice Spice, Blake Lively, Donna and Ed Kelce, Andrea and Scott Swift, Jason and Kylie Kelce, Austin Swift, Lana del Rey, Ashley Avignone, and more, cheering on the Chiefs from the VIP box as the game went into overtime. The Chiefs pulled off the win, and Swift and Kelce celebrated on the field with several passionate kisses amid the falling confetti, Swift declaring the victory “the craziest thing I've ever seen.” Kelce now has three Super Bowl titles under his belt.

At the after party, Kelce and Swift partied hard, serenading one another with Swift's hit singles “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” at the Chiefs's blowout celebration, complete with hand motions. When they left the party, Swift was wearing Kelce's suit jacket draped over her shoulders. 

Asked after the game how he felt after he and Swift both had such milestone weeks, Kelce couldn't hold back. 

“Man, it's on top of the world right now, baby,” he said. “It's a good feeling.”

Only time will tell what’s next for the superstar couple, but there’s no doubt at this point that Swift loves the players (Kelce in particular) just as much as she loves the game.