Oh, how quickly the internet flips the script! Not too long ago, Olivia Dunne was America’s golden girl, but now? Some folks are calling her “overrated” or saying she “doesn’t deserve it,” of course, referring to her fame and status as the highest-paid NIL women’s athlete! The same crowd that once adored her has suddenly decided she’s “dumb.” Why? Because Twitter trolls are the true judges of talent and success, no?

Things escalated on February 10th during Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans when an interview of hers went viral. In the hours following that, the internet was in chaos. But this wasn’t too surprising. In the cyberscape, love and hate turn back on each other faster than anything else. All this came to the surface when an X user named @gimternet shared a now viral interview clip of Olivia Dunne.

In the interview, the reporter asked her, “What’s the hardest class you’re taking in college right now?” Now, if you’ve been keeping up, you know Livvy is in her fifth year at LSU due to that bonus year of NCAA eligibility (COVID rules). While most student-athletes wrap things up in four years, Dunne stuck around for a fifth, fueled by a national title win that reignited her love for the sport.

But here’s the catch—her college journey is officially wrapping up in three months when the NCAA season ends, and before that to stay eligible, she needs something to stay eligible. Well, last year she has already officially earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, but to stay eligible for competition in her final season, she still needs to take a few extra credits.

So, back to the big question, what’s Olivia’s toughest class? Wearing her glasses and glancing side to side as if searching for the right words. She seemed just as unsure about the question but still, she replied, “Oh man, I’m taking two classes, emmmmm, both in technology management.” The interviewer, curious about her light course load, followed up with, “So, do you only have two classes left? Or why just two?” This, let’s be honest, is what we were all wondering.

Dunne clarified, “I need to take them to be eligible to compete.” The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has strict academic requirements to ensure that student-athletes are making satisfactory progress toward their degrees while competing. Pressing further, the interviewer asked, “So, all you need is six credits?” to which Livvy casually responded, “I’m just taking enough credits to stay eligible while I compete. Once I’m done competing, I’ll finish my master’s.”

The interviewer nodded, saying, “Oh, that makes sense.” To which Olivia casually added, “Yeah, I’m working on my master’s.” Naturally, the follow-up question came: “So, how much longer do you have left? Will you be done with school soon?” With a determined smile, Livvy responded, “You know what? Hopefully, I get it done ASAP—within a year, that’s the goal.”

Juggling gymnastics, social media fame, and a master’s degree? Just another day in the life of Olivia Dunne! But, of course, the internet had opinions. Instead of cheering her on, some fans took to mocking her response. Why? Because apparently, no achievement is safe from online critics with too much time on their hands.

Olivia Dunne gave a simple answer  but the internet gave a TED talk

Olivia Dunne’s recent interview may have been casual, but the internet wasn’t feeling so chill about it. Fans wasted no time roasting her response, with one user writing, “Girl is fried asf and she ain’t take any of those classes herself. Omggg 😭😭 string together a sentence challenge failed.” Another chimed in, “She was SCRAMBLING to find answers.”

And of course, the critiques kept coming. One fan added, “She used all her cells to try to create arguments about all that bullshit about giving perfect 10s for no reason to get more viewers. 😂😂😂.”  Ironically, just days before, Dunne had sparked online discussion over the state of women’s college gymnastics.

The NIL powerhouse, who has landed major brand deals with Vuori and American Eagle, took to X to voice her concerns about the sport’s popularity, writing, “I’m sitting here watching NCAA gymnastics and the empty seats are concerning.” She argued that fan engagement is fueled by excitement, adding, “If you want fans to enjoy the sport and increase viewership, you have to look at what makes the crowds go crazy! People understand what a perfect 10 is and want people who do things that look great to be rewarded.”

Her comments came in response to the NCAA’s new judging system. After all, last season alone saw 87 perfect 10s, just shy of the record set in 2004. Dunne, however, insists her concerns are about the long-term health of the sport. “People are like, ‘I don’t understand why she’s complaining because this school is breaking records’… But it’s about keeping those people engaged and wanting more,” she said.

With the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement set to bring revenue sharing to college sports, she worries that non-revenue programs like gymnastics could suffer. “Gymnastics is at the point right now where it could be a filled arena of record-breaking attendance. But it’s still a non-revenue sport.”

In her eyes, any move that risks lowering excitement—like tighter scoring—comes at the worst possible time. Whether you agree with her or not, one thing’s for sure: Olivia Dunne knows how to keep people talking. One fan didn’t hold back, joking, “Are the brain cells in the room with us?” Another chimed in, “It was such a dumb moment from her. Her brain cells were frying to give the answer.” Another fan said, “She thinks she can finish a master’s in a year by taking two classes at a time 😭😭.“

Fans weren’t expecting that response. Especially since a master’s degree in the U.S. typically takes 1.5 to 2 years for full-time students. Is Olivia Dunne casually saying she’ll wrap it up in a year? Yeah, the internet wasn’t buying it. But hey, maybe Livvy operates on gymnast time. If she can stick a perfect landing, who’s to say she can’t stick a master’s degree at record speed? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see!