Amid the glitz and glamour of 5.4 million Instagram followers, and 18 million TikTok fans, there’s a hard truth that the community often oversees. As a 22-year-old balancing the high stakes world of online relevance, and a demanding gymnastics career, Livvy often finds herself overburdened. Sometimes, she brushes it off like a superstar. But, sometimes, the heightened scrutiny often gets to her—forcing her to draw a much-needed boundary like she did recently. However, before we get to that…

It was retired NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski who first pointed out what Dunne failed to realize. “He said, ‘I don’t know what I would’ve done if all these eyes were on me while I was in college. That would have been terrible,'” the veteran had reportedly said at a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue party as per the gymnast. Slowly, the realization dawned upon her: College life would be an uphill task. More often than not, despite multiple accolades including an NCAA Championship win last year, the community has undeniably zeroed upon several aspects that make the young star queasy. And this time, the conversation has ended up around her NCAA eligibility.

To give you some context: When Livvy joined the Louisiana State University in the summer of 2020, a raging pandemic unfortunately halted her career. But it also gave her a fifth year of eligibility, along with considerable criticism for her decision to return for a fifth year. But the College Gymnastics #1 ranked NIL star isn’t going to sit quietly this time. She gave it right back to critics!

The young star recently addressed the criticism head-on through a TikTok video posted five days ago. The post was in response to a comment on a previous post highlighting LSU gymnastics’ senior night ceremony. Amid Dunne sharing heartfelt reflections on her time with the team, a user wrote, “Don’t worry, you’ll be a senior for the next 10 years.”

In the latest post, Dunne pointed out, “I only ever see this comment on female athletes’ posts.” “Football and basketball players redshirt and take fifth years all the time,” she further said, emphasizing that her return was made possible by the NCAA’s pandemic-era eligibility extension. The gymnast—who enjoys a staggering On3 NIL value of $4.1 million—also expressed confusion over why her choice has sparked such backlash. Pointing out the double standard, she highlighted that LSU football’s starting quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, is also returning for a fifth year without facing the same scrutiny.

“This comment is nowhere to be found on his account,” she said. For the unversed: In December last year, the LSU Tigers quarterback announced his decision revealing that his primary aim would be bringing the university a championship. Having said that, Tar Heels basketball star RJ Davis also returned for a fifth year, announcing the news in May last year. Evidently, most of the comments congratulated the player on the Instagram post.

An user, on the contrary, took the opportunity to make a pointed comment on Dunne’s post. “Stetson Bennett was getting flamed 2 years ago wym?” they wrote, to which the LSU gymnast responded, “I’m 22 he was 24/25. Good for him coming back and balling out tho lol.” Then again there was one TikTok user who theorized that Livvy returned just so she can enjoy the financial benefits. To this, the SI Swimsuit model revealed that she had given up her scholarship just to return.

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Notably, Dunne’s last and fifth year with LSU hasn’t been great so far. She sustained a knee injury on December 19 last year, just before the start of the new collegiate season. Regardless, she remains focused on making the most of her final season at LSU, both as an athlete and a social media powerhouse.

Nevertheless, despite Dunne’s PSA, social media users still didn’t stop from calling her out…

Fans Call Out Olivia Dunne

Many TikTok users and fans have commented on Dunne’s videos, criticizing and making jokes about her final year at LSU. One fan humorously remarked, “Been in college so long she could prolly be your daughter,” referencing a video which Dunne made in collaboration with freshman teammate Kailin Chio, highlighting Chio’s first-year.

Another fan quipped, “Livvy gonna still be in college when Paul retires,” making a playful jab at her long collegiate career in relation to her boyfriend, Paul Skenes, who is currently in his second year of his MLB career with the Pittsburgh Pirates after being picked up first overall in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. Another user jokingly called Dunne “the Joel Embiid of college gymnastics,” likening her extended college stay to the NBA star’s own drawn-out collegiate journey before turning pro.

One fan jokingly commented on her TikTok, “Is Livvy a 9th year senior at this point or am I just bad at keeping track of time?” While the remark was likely made in jest, it reflects the ongoing discourse surrounding Olivia Dunne’s extended college career. Despite the criticism, Dunne’s impact at LSU extends far beyond the gym. Over the past four years, she has leveraged her success into lucrative endorsement deals and even secured a coveted spot in the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.

One fan even asked outright, “How long has she been at LSU? I swear I’ve seen her there for the longest time.“

Despite the lighthearted teasing and criticism, Dunne remains focused on her final season at LSU. Dunne’s decision has become a talking point, underscoring the ongoing double standards in collegiate sports.