Tight End University/Instagram
George Kittle, Jeremy Shockey, Travis Kelce, Greg Olsen and Brock Bowers at Tight End University 2025.
NEED TO KNOW
- Tight ends Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Greg Olsen co-founded Tight End University in 2021
- The event is a three-day program for NFL tight ends to “bond, collaborate with, and learn amongst their peers”
- During the Tight Ends & Friends concert on June 24, Taylor Swift gave a surprise performance
NFL tight ends Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Greg Olsen have been creating a community with their fellow tight ends since 2021.
The three athletes founded Tight End University (TEU), an annual three-day program dedicated to helping tight ends “bond, collaborate with, and learn amongst their peers.” In addition to uniting the tight end community, TEU also has a charitable component and raises money for organizations selected by Kelce, Kittle and Olsen.
“Don’t be afraid to shake some hands [and] meet everybody,” Kelce told attendees during the opening night in 2025. “This event is so unique, because you get to see everybody outside the face mask man, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, meet everybody and let’s have some fun!”
Beyond the more formal training and team-building opportunities, TEU also holds a Tight Ends & Friends concert. The 2025 event featured a surprise performance from Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, while Kane Brown was onstage. Swift stunned fans when she sang her 2014 hit song “Shake It Off.”
From the festivities to a surprise Taylor Swift performance, here’s everything to know about Tight End University.
What is Tight End University?
Carly Mackler/Getty
George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen speaking at the Tight Ends & Friends Concert in June 2024.
TEU was co-founded by tight ends Kittle, Kelce and Olsen. Kelce currently plays with the Kansas City Chiefs, while Kittle is a tight end with the San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, Olsen was a tight end with the Carolina Panthers until he retired in 2021.
“Tight End University was created to bring the Tight End community together for an immersive three-day program,” the website’s description reads. “Over the course of the summit, attendees are able to bond, collaborate with, and learn amongst their peers while participating in a variety of activities including film study, on-field drills, recovery, rehabilitation, and more.”
TEU also allows tight ends to learn from “several retired legends who provide attendees with the invaluable opportunity to learn from some of the best to ever play the game.” In 2025, Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski was one of the featured notable guests.
In addition to the football activities, TEU also raised more than $900,000 for charitable causes in 2024.
“Beyond supporting our athletes, TEU is also driven to give back to the community through a variety of charitable initiatives,” the website reads. “Thanks to the help of our sponsors, we are able to help raise money for various organizations and at the conclusion of the event donate all proceeds to charities selected by our hosts.”
Of course, the program isn’t strictly business, as TEU also hosts an annual Tight Ends & Friends concert for the guests and their attendees, as well as a Ladies Luncheon for the wives and girlfriends of the athletes.
In 2025, Kittle’s wife, Claire Kittle, hosted the luncheon presented by Leigh Taylor PR+, held at Coa Rooftop Bar in the Canopy Hotel. In addition to special treats, the luncheon also included activations from Sneex, Stoney Clover Lane, UAL, The Spark Collection, Zenni Optical and Cutwater.
“This is our fifth year and every year it has just grown in every way,” Claire told PEOPLE. “More guys are coming and then bringing their wives and their girlfriends, so that number has just naturally grown every single year. It’s important to me to highlight the women, too, and kind of spoil them, because obviously the men are in the light all the time.”
Who attends Tight End University?
Over 70 tight ends from several NFL teams attended the fifth annual event in 2025. The program released an official “Tight End University Class of 2025” composite prior to the beginning of the event.
Some of the notable class members included Las Vegas Raiders’ Brock Bowers, Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride, Philadelphia Eagles’ Dallas Goedert, Minnesota Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson, Baltimore Ravens’ Isaiah Likely and Denver Broncos’ Evan Engram, among others.
When and where is Tight End University?
The fifth-annual Tight End University took place from June 23 through June 26, 2025.
The program was held in Nashville, Tenn., and primarily used the campus of Vanderbilt University.
Why did Taylor Swift perform at Tight End University?
Desiree Manard
Taylor Swift performing at the Tight Ends & Friends concert in June 2025.
On June 24, TEU hosted a Tight Ends & Friends concert for the attendees and their families. Swift, who stepped out for a red carpet appearance with Kelce at the event on June 23, surprised fans when she took the stage the following night.
The popstar gave a surprise performance of her 2014 hit song “Shake it Off” during the concert at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville.
“We would like to dedicate this to our favorite players who are going to play and these are the tight ends,” Swift said while introducing the song.
A source later told PEOPLE, “Taylor surprised the crowd by joining Kane Brown onstage for ‘Shake It Off.’ The crowd lost their minds! At the end of her performance she made sure to thank the band and gave each one of them a hug.”
Brown briefly introduced Swift by telling the crowd that he was bringing out a “really, really, really special guest.”
The insider also told PEOPLE that Swift and Kelce arrived at the event together in a black SUV.
“They made their way upstairs where they chatted with the TEU athletes and guests,” the source shared. “Travis and Taylor stayed by each other’s side all while chit chatting and catching up with everyone … She sang along with George Kittle, having the best time.”
They added, “Taylor was having the best time watching all the country music artists and showing her support for them.”
In addition to Brown and Swift, artists Jordan Davis, Chase Rice, Sophia Scott and Graham Barham also took the stage.
Read the original article on People