It was a meeting that fans have been waiting for months to see!

Former TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb has been making the most of her newfound free time lately. On February 9, she attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans and bumped into a certain beloved actor, throwing countless Kotb fans into a tizzy.

In a recent Instagram post commemorating her time in the Big Easy, Kotb shared a carousel that included one adorable photo with none other than actor Kevin Costner.

Kotb got her start in broadcast journalism as a local reporter in New Orleans, and the city has always held a special place in her heart. There was no way she’d be missing the Super Bowl this year.

However, there’s real significance behind her pic alongside the Yellowstone star. Kotb and Costner looked fantastic as they posed for a quick snap outside their box seats in the Caesars Superdome. Still, fans of both stars know how truly monumental their chance meeting is. There’s a hilarious (and adorable) backstory here!

Ever since the Yellowstone star stopped by the TODAY set in June, fans have been enamored by the chemistry between the two. Speculation came to a head during Kotb’s appearance on Watch What Happens Live! After Party. A fan who video-chatted into the Andy Cohen-hosted show asked Kotb straight-up if she was interested in dating Costner.

“Wait, what?” Kotb memorably said.

“The viewers want the two of you to be together,” Cohen explained.

Stunned does not begin to explain the look on Kotb’s face as she tried to process this information. She had no idea the clamoring for her and the actor to be together existed and took the suggestion in stride. For the record, Kotb eventually relented, saying, “Well, if the viewers want it!”

Seven months later, fans finally got their wish.

Hoda Kotb’s former colleagues give her some good-natured ribbing

Hoda Kotb at the 2024 NBCUniversal Upfront from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Monday, May 13, 2024; Kevin Costner arrives at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Photo: Jennifer Graylock/NBCUniversal; Todd Owyoung/NBCTODAY’s Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager noticed the significance of the moment and couldn’t resist leaving cheeky comments on Kotb’s Instagram.

“New couple alert,” Guthrie wrote, leaning into the hilarious fan speculation. Meanwhile, Hager congratulated her former fourth-hour co-host as only she could!

“We have been waiting for this moment,” she wrote, speaking for us all.

So for one brief, shining moment in New Orleans, the stars (literally) aligned, and now Kotb and Costner are immortalized together in an unforgettable photo. Kotb’s smile says it all, further proving that the 60-year-old is living her best life!