“I do!” Well… not quite yet, but Gabby Thomas is officially engaged! The 28-year-old Olympic queen said yes to her longtime boyfriend, Spencer McManes, after three years of dating. And this love story has all the makings of a feel-good rom-com. We’ve seen hints along the way, like when Spencer was front at the 2024 Paris Olympics, cheering Gabby on as she snagged three gold medals. After their sweet Maldives vacation together and all that support, Spencer’s proposal felt like the perfect next chapter.

But this love story almost didn’t happen! Gabby and Spencer weren’t exactly a match made in heaven—at least not on paper. I mean, let’s talk credentials. Gabby graduated from Harvard in 2019 with a degree in neuroscience and a minor in global health and health policy. Pretty impressive, right? Meanwhile, Spencer was over at Yale, where he played quarterback for the football team and earned a degree in political science and government, graduating in 2017.

So yeah… Harvard and Yale? That’s like mixing oil and water. And if you know anything about these two Ivy League giants, you know they’re not exactly the best of friends. But why, you ask? Oh, let’s dive into that!

Oh, Harvard and Yale? Yeah, that’s a rivalry as old as time—or at least since the 1600s! These two Ivy League powerhouses have been duking it out for centuries, and it’s not just about academics. Sure, they both pump out world-class leaders and brilliant minds, but the real heat? It’s on the football field.

“The Game,” as they call it, kicked off in 1875, and ever since, it’s been less about touchdowns and more about bragging rights. So, when Gabby Thomas from Harvard and Spencer McManes from Yale hit it off? Gabby even joked that she “fell for him despite the fact he went to Yale.” No one saw it coming! But how did this hate turn into love? Well, it was because of one surprising thing about Spencer.

Gabby Thomas and Spencer McManes show that love plays by its own rules

Despite being surrounded by rivalries, Gabby couldn’t stop falling for Spencer. Their story began in 2021 when mutual friends in Austin mentioned they might get along. But no one expected a Harvard track star and a Yale football player to go from rivals to lovebirds. One night, Gabby’s curiosity got the best of her, and she looked up Spencer on Instagram. What caught her eye was something that turned hate into love?  “Right at the top of his profile was a highlight of pizza reviews,” she says with a laugh. “I’m a huge pizza fan, so I thought, ‘This looks like quality content.’” A few chuckles later, she gave him a follow.

Spencer wasted no time. “I got the notification and thought, ‘No way. Gabby Thomas just followed me?” he says, still a little in disbelief. Without missing a beat, he slid into her DMs with, “What did I do to earn this follow?” That one message sparked months of playful banter, filled with witty replies and inside jokes.

By 2022, Spencer finally asked Gabby out. Their first date? A speakeasy where they talked nonstop for over three hours. “It felt like we’d known each other forever,” Gabby says. And for their second date? Of course, it had to be pizza.

But rivalry or not, their connection was undeniable. Spencer adds with a grin, “I knew I was in trouble the moment she laughed at my pizza reviews.” In the end, even an Ivy League rivalry couldn’t stand a chance against love… and a really good slice of pizza.