The Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce romance was not engineered by the NFL, Marissa Solis, a top league executive said, via DeadlineDeadline reported.

NFL's SVP of global brand and consumer marketing, Marissa Solis, addressed the couple's love story‘s effect at an Advertising Week panel. The topic was on how sports leagues can reach the Gen Z audience.

She said Gen Z fans are “fast-paced and ever-changing,” so “It's really, really tough to actually get them and to be ahead of them.” The statement echoes what the NFL said when they defended their stance on covering the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce as it played out in the stands.

Solis said that the league had to learn “from the best, Ms. Taylor Swift,” acknowledging the pop superstar's marketing savvy.

Taylor Swift Travis Kelce

“Be ready for the moment.”

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“This thing happened like this,” Solis said. “People think that we may have had something to do with it. Absolutely not. We knew nothing. We knew what you guys knew and followed on social media. Travis went to her concert, asked her to maybe come to a game.”

“We had no idea that she was going to show up,” Solid continued. “And once it happened, she showed up to a game and in an instant, literally in a second, it’s viral. Luckily, we have an incredible team” of specialists working to promote it across league social channels.”

She added, “All you can do is be there and be ready for the moment.”

The NFL has called their strategy of trying to connect with the younger generation as “helmets off,” providing lifestyle content  the way the NBA has done. The league's goal was to “be a student of culture and be ready when the moment hits,” Solis remarked.

“You can’t be ahead of it, but you can be just right there so you can be sure to take advantage and fully grow your audience,” she said.