National Commentator Confirms Stance on Olivia Dunne’s Absurd Comments Amidst NCAA Gymnastics Season

Olivia Dunne’s presence in NCAA gymnastics has always been a magnet for attention. Whether it’s her dazzling routines or polarizing comments. Sure, she has been an inspiration for many aspiring gymnasts. From being a great athlete on the mat to being at the top in women’s NIL rankings. She has done it all! Dunne has always been vocal, but to an extent, one should comment on the changes in the game.

Recently, LSU star Olivia Dunne took to her X and shared her concern about the fans, and athletes’ financial problems. The post reads, “This is not about LSU. This is about the sport. I’m in my 5th year, and I have an audience of casual fans, so maybe I’m in a unique position to see what is happening with fans differently than people just looking at attendance numbers. Fans are confused.”

Dunne further added, “I also spend time raising money for female athletes and will always advocate for athletes. Making changes that can impact the entertainment value will affect athletes financially as well. Female sports in the NCAA have to focus on building crowd engagement to continue to get revenue support for the athletes.” As Dunne commented on casual fans and changes to the scoring system. This caught the attention of commentator Christina Chauvenet, who had her own opinion on Olivia Dunne’s comments. And Olivia didn’t hold back. How did she react?

Without naming or tagging anyone, the commentator posted on X, “I’m going to keep pointing out deductions and when I disagree with the judges, as well as praising great gymnastics!” Every game has to be fair, and for that sometimes tough marking is the good way. As they say, ‘May the best win.’ If any team has the capability, they are surely going to succeed. No matter what the scoring criteria are. Chauvenet has more to say.

Chauvenet also counters Dunne’s casual fans’ point: “I get messages from casual fans regularly telling me that helped them understand the sport better! We can educate casual fans without infantilizing them.” And Christina is more or less correct in her thought process. The attention of fans cannot be won simply by dazzling scores. But rather making them aware of the game. But what exactly triggered this debacle?

It all started with LSU’s loss to Arkansas and Dunne thinks the new evaluation system is to blame. She posted on X that fans need to go crazy while watching the gymnastics. She also wrote, “People understand what a perfect 10 is and want people who do things that look great to be rewarded.” But fans were divided in this opinion. Dunne got backlash from fans and seniors like Chauvenet and Morgan Belvedere. How did they respond?

Chauvenet replied to her comment by saying that elite WAG viewership has increased, and it’s not the perfect 10 that drives the viewership. It’s the athletes. The former Gator, Belvedere, also didn’t hold back and said, “10s are earned, not given. Universities should focus on marketing their student-athletes and the sport better.” Coming back to the present, what Christina Chauvenet has to say on Olivia Dunne’s ‘fans are confused’ remark.

Why did the scoring system upset Dunne so much? Well, that might have to do more with LSU’s current state.

Olivia Dunne’s LSU lost week four of NCAA might be because of the new judging evaluation system

LSU, the reigning national champions, had a difficult fourth week of NCAA gymnastics. The No. 2 Tigers lost to No. 17 Arkansas in a close SEC dual meet, 196.875 to 196.600, following a string of unsteady routines. Their subpar performance may impact their prospects of winning an SEC regular season title. How did Dunne perform? On Friday, the LSU averaged 9.77 points, with 9.70 contributed by the gymnast and influencer Olivia Dunne. But what about the perfect 10 in recent years?

The gymnastics teams achieved a total of 71 perfect 10s in 2022. Later in 2023, perfect 10 increased to 84. What about 2024? The count again increased and reached 87. Now, the question is: what is the perfect 10 counts in NCAA 2025 till now? Only 2. Who earned them? Helen Hu and Jordan Chiles have earned their perfect 10 of this season. Hu’s perfect 10 was on the balance beam, while Chiles’ was on the bars. What changes have been made in NCAA gymnastics scoring? When did it all start?

In May 2024, WCGA introduced a new system called the Collegiate Judging Issue (CJI), aimed at bringing more fairness and consistency. The goal of this new system is to create a level playing field of scores across the country. Experts, coaches, and fans have criticized NCAA women’s gymnastics judging for years. Especially when Florida’s Chloi Clark scored a perfect 9.95 from one judge with a clear landing deduction in February 2023. And now, when the change is happening, the issue persists. What exactly has changed?

As per the available information, there is not much change to the core NCAA gymnastics scoring system for the 2025 season. The new approach would evaluate judges according to how closely their scores match a target score. Their scores will be closer to the goal, which will result in higher ranks and more prestigious assignments. It was easy to get a perfect 10, and it was easy for fans to understand that, but now things are more detailed. Gymnasts have to be accurate in their performance to earn a perfect 10.

The real question persists. Is Olivia Dunne apprehensive about the new system? Or is she more concerned with preserving her fame as her collegiate career draws to an end?