On Tuesday, June 24, Taylor Swift returned to the stage for her first live performance since regaining ownership of her masters. Country star Kane Brown introduced Swift, who surprised fans with an unannounced acoustic performance of “Shake It Off” at the packed 1,200-seat Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville — a much more intimate crowd than, say, any of her Eras Tour concerts. So, how did this group luck out with such an iconic performance?
Turns out, Swift’s set was actually part of her boyfriend, Travis Kelce’s, event, Tight End University. But that brings up another question: What is Tight End University?
Despite the name, Tight End University is not an actual college (meaning, sadly, college students can’t just enroll and catch a Swift set between classes). Tight End University (TEU) is actually a football‑focused development program founded in 2021 by Kelce and fellow NFL tight ends George Kittle and Greg Olsen. TEU is a three‑day “immersive program” designed to sharpen the skills of professional players in the tight end position, hosting around 75 tight ends from across the NFL each summer, from rookies to veterans.
“Over the course of the summit, attendees are able to bond, collaborate with and learn among their peers while participating in a variety of activities, including film study, on-field drills, recovery, rehabilitation and more,” the Tight End University website states. “In addition to current players, TEU also features several retired legends who provide attendees with the invaluable opportunity to learn from some of the best to ever play the game.”
TEU also focuses on giving back to the community through a variety of charitable initiatives. TEU helps raise money for Kelce’s nonprofit 87 and Running, which helps disadvantaged youths, The Heartest Yard, which helps kids with congenital heart disease, as well as a charity of Kittle’s choosing. One of the TEU fundraising events includes its benefit concerts. This year’s concert was titled “Tight Ends & Friends” and included performances from Jordan Davis, Chase Rice, Sophia Scott, Graham Barham, Nico Moon, Ernest, and, of course, Swift.
Just as she famously did during football season, Swift showed her support for Kelce by attending several TEU events in the past few days, including not just her performance at the concert, but also at the TEU opening ceremony (as seen in TEU’s Instagram post in which she walks hand-in-hand with Kelce) as well as a TEU after-party.
TEU may not hand out diplomas, but it’s become a go-to summer tradition for NFL players looking to fine-tune their craft and give back to the community — with a little help from their pop-icon friends, of course.