Taylor Swift–Travis Kelce engagement fever: Professor scraps midterm? Here’s what really happened

If you’ve been online in the past 24 hours—or even if you haven’t—you probably couldn’t escape the news: Taylor Swift is officially engaged to Travis Kelce. The couple confirmed it in a joint Instagram post with the cheeky caption: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.

” Naturally, the internet exploded, with fans calling it nothing less than America’s royal wedding.And it’s not just Swifties who can’t keep their excitement in check. One Tennessee professor, caught up in the frenzy, went viral after telling his class that their midterm exam was cancelled so they could all celebrate the engagement together. In the clip, he dramatically announces that he can’t concentrate and assumes his students must be equally distracted by the happy news.

The classroom erupts in cheers. One student was spotted sprinting for the door as the rest of the class quickly grabbed their bags and started piling out of the room.Sounds too good to be true, right?

That’s because it was.

The moment wasn’t real—it was a skit. Associate Professor Matthew Pittman of the Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations at the University of Tennessee staged the announcement as part of a playful classroom exercise.

Known for tying cultural trends to discussions of social media and PR, Pittman used the Swift-Kelce engagement to break down how pop culture shapes influence and communication.The university itself later posted the video with a wink, writing:“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married… just kidding. But Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are, and we’ve got the ADPR take. Associate Professor Matthew Pittman, who studies social influence, cognition, and all things social media, breaks down the engagement from an advertising and PR perspective.

Watch how he connects this pop culture moment to the classroom (yes, including a skit at the end).

”

The frenzy that followed the announcement

During a press conference, Donald Trump, who is known to share some 'Bad-Blood' with the pop star congratulated the couple. He said, "He (Travis) is a great player and a great guy and I think she (Taylor) is a terrific person. I wish them a lot of luck.”The celebrities from the two worlds of soccer and Hollywood congratulated the duo too.

Some of them included, LeBron James, David Beckham, Simone Biles, and NCAA basketball sensation Caitlin Clark, Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, and Sabrina Carpenter, as well as Hollywood icons Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Elizabeth Banks, and Kate Hudson.Interestingly, the singing sensation 'broke the internet' on Tuesday after announcing her engagement to Kelce. Her Instagram post hit 10 million likes in just one hour and five minutes — the second-fastest ever — surpassing Ronaldo’s iconic chess post with Lionel Messi, which took two hours and 10 minutes.