The confetti was still falling at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans when the internet started melting down. It wasn't just about the Philadelphia Eagles pulling off a massive 40-22 upset against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. It was about who was standing on that field, emerald green confetti stuck to her hair, looking like she’d just won the lottery herself.
Kayla Nicole.
You know the name. For five years, she was the mainstay of Chiefs Kingdom, the high-profile girlfriend of Travis Kelce. But on that Sunday in February 2025, the script flipped. While Kelce and his current partner, Taylor Swift, were dealing with the gut-punch of a championship loss, Kayla was seen singing "Fly, Eagles, Fly" at the top of her lungs.
Honestly, the optics were wild.
The Celebration That Set the Internet on Fire
People weren't just surprised; they were polarized. Kayla Nicole didn't just attend the game; she lived it. She was spotted in the stands wearing a black crop top and green and white striped pants—very much a "Birds" aesthetic. On her Instagram Stories, she posted clips of herself spelling out E-A-G-L-E-S with a group of fans.
Then came the field access.
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After the clock hit zero, Kayla made her way onto the turf. She was filmed blowing green confetti into the camera, laughing, and captioned one of her posts: "They said there’s room on the wagon y'all." She even linked up with rapper GloRilla during the post-game festivities. For a fan base still processing the "Kelce Bowl" narratives of years past, seeing Travis’s most famous ex-celebrating his biggest professional loss was... a lot.
The backlash was instant. Critics on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) called it "tacky" and "attention-seeking." They claimed she was only there to spite Kelce. But was she? Or is there more to the story than just a "bitter ex" narrative?
Why Was Kayla Nicole Actually There?
Here is the thing most people missed while they were busy typing angry comments: Kayla was actually working.
She wasn't just a spectator who bought a ticket to gloat. Kayla Nicole is a Pepperdine-trained journalist. She was in New Orleans on assignment for I Am Athlete on Revolt TV. Throughout the week, she had been conducting interviews, attending press conferences (including the Eagles' media availability), and covering the lifestyle side of the NFL's biggest week.
"If people are wondering why I keep talking about sports, it's because I'm hosting a sports show," she told People shortly after the event.
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Basically, she had field access because she had a job to do. When the game ended, she stayed on the field to continue her coverage. Does that explain the singing and the "wagon" comments? Maybe not entirely, but it certainly complicates the idea that she was just a "scorned ex" trying to get a camera's attention.
The Complex Relationship with "Chiefs Kingdom"
To understand why this was such a lightning rod moment, you have to look at the history. Kayla and Travis were together from 2017 until 2022. She wasn't just a girlfriend; she was part of the fabric of the team's social circle. She was close friends with Brittany Mahomes. She was at every game.
When they broke up and Travis moved into the global stratosphere of fame with Taylor Swift, the transition wasn't exactly quiet. Kayla has been open about the "online chaos" that followed, mentioning on the reality show Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test that the level of hate she received made her question her value.
So, when she showed up at Super Bowl LIX, she wasn't entering a vacuum. She was entering a stadium filled with people who had spent two years comparing her to a pop icon.
Breaking the "WAG" Label
Kayla has been vocal about hating the term "WAG" (Wives and Girlfriends). She once made a great point that doctors' wives don't call themselves "DAGs." By the time the 2025 Super Bowl rolled around, she was clearly leaning into her own identity:
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- Host: Leading I Am Athlete segments.
- Entrepreneur: Growing her wellness brand, Tribe Therepē.
- Podcaster: Launching The Pre-Game With Kayla Nicole.
When she celebrated with the Eagles, it felt like a declaration of independence. She wasn't cheering for the Chiefs anymore because she didn't belong to that "Kingdom" anymore.
The C.J. Gardner-Johnson Factor
Adding fuel to the fire was Eagles defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. After the win, he took to social media to throw some shade at Kelce, essentially suggesting Travis should have stayed with Kayla.
It was messy. It was loud. It even resulted in Taylor Swift fans reportedly "review-bombing" Gardner-Johnson’s mother’s restaurant on Yelp. This side-drama turned a football game into a soap opera, and Kayla was right in the center of the Venn diagram.
What This Tells Us About Modern Sports Culture
The fact that Kayla Nicole celebrated with the Eagles after the Super Bowl became a bigger headline than some of the actual game plays says a lot about where we are. We love a narrative. We love a "revenge" story.
But looking at the facts, the reality is more nuanced. Kayla was a professional woman doing her job in an industry she’s worked in for years. She happened to be working for the side that won. Did she enjoy seeing her ex lose? Maybe. Most humans would feel a bit of "schadenfreude" in that situation. But she was also a journalist enjoying a historic moment in the city of New Orleans.
If you’re following the fallout of this, keep these insights in mind:
- Context Matters: Professional assignments often dictate where a media personality stands, literally and figuratively.
- Narrative Bias: Social media will always choose the most dramatic explanation (revenge) over the most logical one (work).
- Brand Evolution: Kayla Nicole is successfully pivoting from being "the girlfriend" to being the "the talent," and that shift usually comes with some growing pains in the public eye.
If you want to keep up with how she's navigating this new chapter, her podcast The Pre-Game is where she's been most candid about reclaiming her story. You can find her latest episodes on most major streaming platforms where she breaks down the intersection of sports, wellness, and the reality of living under a microscope.