Kayla Nicole, Travis Kelce's ex, shares her new rule when it comes to dating athletes.
From now on, Kayla Nicole will bench players. In an update on her romantic life, the sports journalist—who dated Travis Kelce from 2017 to 2022 disclosed that she is no longer seeking a romantic relationship with a professional player.
"I keep saying I don't want to date any more athletes," in an appearance on Harry Jowsey's Boyfriend Material podcast on November 25, Kayla clarified, "but I'm down to date the owners of the teams."
The 34-year-old joked that naming "non-negotiables" has landed her into "some trouble" in the past, but she is still attempting to avoid having too many requirements for a mate.
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 19 (Feb 9 – May 2, 2026): big discounts for early bird.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and co-invest in great global startups.
Register for Tekedia AI Lab: From Technical Design to Deployment (next edition begins Jan 24 2026).
"I'm really just open," Kayla went on, joking that "the bar is really in hell these days."
The presenter of the Pre-Game With Kayla Nicole podcast revealed that she did have one desire in mind if she had to list a few characteristics for her ideal partner.
"A job—can we start there?" she stated. "You have work to do. You have something to do besides bugging me all day."
Kayla added that although she would love for her spouse to have a job, there is one thing that she values more than anything else.
"I'm more so invested in people's character and personality," she clarified. "I used to have a very like detailed physical descriptors and career and no kids—all that stuff kind of goes out the window."
As she ages, her perspective on love has actually "really changed."
"I want someone who has integrity and ambition and [is] romantic," Kayla disclosed. "I do have a list in my phone. I write down the things that I want in life. I added that to my list recently: A man that is very romantic."
Additionally, the content developer gave an example of the precise type of romance she hopes to bring about.
"One guy that I dated, he sent me shopping to get an outfit to wear on my date with him and then flew me out and had flowers waiting for me in the car on arrival and then had a whole date night planned," she remembered. "It [was] just kind of very intentional. Like you thought about all of the bases being covered."
Uploaded files: