What Was Travis Kelce's College GPA?

Travis Kelce's relationship with his brother, Jason Kelce, was vital for his college GPA. Both brothers played football for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, but the younger Kelce had disciplinary issues during his years in the program. "I got kicked off the team for having a little too much fun off the field," Travis recalled to The Kansas City Star. He was suspended a full season in 2010 after testing positive for marijuana. Travis was in hot water once more when he was suspended again, but Jason intervened and begged the team's coach, Butch Jones, to give him another chance. "Jason's like, 'Don't give up on him, Coach. Please, please don't give up on him,'" Jones explained to the publication.

The coach agreed to let Travis back on the team with the condition that he maintained a certain GPA. Jones wanted proof that Travis had changed, and required the future Kansas City Chiefs player to maintain a 3.0 GPA. "He jokes about it to this day — that he never had a 3.0 in his life," Jones told the Star. Travis was able to pass those standards and ultimately wound up with a 3.2 GPA, allowing him to play in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

While Travis went on to get drafted in 2013 and play in the pros, the tight end didn't wind up completing enough credits to receive his diploma. He did eventually complete his degree in 2022, and later celebrated with a headline-making graduation ceremony.

Even though Travis Kelce graduated with a bachelor of interdisciplinary studies in 2022, he was not present for his school's graduation ceremony. For a live taping of the "New Heights" podcast — which he co-hosts with Jason Kelce — a makeshift graduation ceremony was put together to honor both the Kelce brothers and present their diplomas in April 2024. "A surprise commencement we'll never forget," the University of Cincinnati Bearcats Instagram account posted along with shots of the event. While being presented his diploma, Travis decided to turn the proceedings into a party and he chugged a beer right on stage for the audience.

Once Travis officially received his degree, it put a little pressure on his friend and teammate, Patrick Mahomes, who had a high college GPA himself. Answering a Q&A with fans for Complex Sports on Instagram in April, Mahomes mentioned that he had not yet finished school. "If Travis got his diploma, I've got to find a way to get my diploma from Texas Tech," the quarterback said.

While some online saw the beer chug as arrogant and classless, despite the occasional shenanigans, Mahomes insists that his teammate is brighter than many realize. "He puts on this persona, like he's like, 'I'm partying, I'm drinking, whatever, but he's really super intelligent," Mahomes explained while appearing on the "Impaulsive" podcast in May. In fact, many Taylor Swift fans have wondered if Travis was smart enough to keep up with his girlfriend.

A few Taylor Swift fans threw shots at Travis Kelce when he was presented with his college diploma in April. "Getting that degree so he can understand TTPD," one Instagram user wrote. Before the release of "The Tortured Poets Department" album, there was speculation Swift could hurt Kelce with her lyrics. Upon its official release, in one track called  "So High School," she seemed to mention the differences in their intellectual interests. "You know how to ball, I know Aristotle," Swift sang.

But the perceived intelligence disparity between the football jock and the introspective songwriter has been a point of public discussion during Kelce and Swift's relationship. Kelce spoke about the influence she had on him in an interview from November 2023. "I've never been a man of words," he told The Wall Street Journal when discussing his girlfriend. "Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been f***ing mind-blowing. I'm learning every day," Kelce added.

While the star tight end finished college, and Swift did not — but received an honorary doctorate from NYU — Kelce's intelligence was called into question in November 2023 after old tweets surfaced where he had objectified women. "He's illiterate is more to the point ... I don't want [Swift] to be stuck with this idiot," Joy Behar joked on "The View" after reading one of his tweets aloud.