Let’s just say that in her fifth year with LSU Gymnastics, Olivia Dunne is experiencing an emotional rollercoaster. Indeed, it revolves around her performance on the mat for the Tigers and other aspects related to her NIL agreements. What aspects, you ask? The NIL (name, image, and likeness) regulations have recently gained significant attention. Questions arose following the NCAA’s settlement of lawsuits with attorney generals from key states like Tennessee and Virginia. The settlement marked an important development after the antitrust claims brought forth by lawyers from Tennessee and Virginia last year. The lawsuits challenged the NCAA’s prohibition on NIL compensation in college recruitment. However, the NCAA settlement’s terms have placed Olivia in a tough spot.

As someone who has fully embraced NIL deals since 2021, she could accumulate a considerable amount for any missed NIL opportunities. However, the challenge in the settlement arises from the ambiguity surrounding the assessment of compensation. Amid this complex legal battle, where does the New Jersey native stand?

Olivia Dunne finds herself in a better position 

On January 19 this year, Olivia Dunne shared a funny clip on TikTok. In the clip, she was making faces, trying to test the availability of the social media owned by ByteDance. Notably, the US Supreme Court ruled obstructing ByteDance’s operations in the USA. By January 19, the Chinese company had to adhere to the conditions set by the highest legal institution in the USA. However, failing to comply, ByteDance was suspended from operating its social media application in the USA. And Olivia Dunne’s NIL deals came to the receiving end because of the ruling. 

However, Dunne and many other American TikTok users found relief because President-elect Donald Trump intervened in the issue. Thanks to his executive order, ByteDance could let out a sigh of relief. But how does any of this affect Olivia Dunne? Well, on January 19, Livvy ranked fifth. The  TikTok ban would have adversely affected her chances of moving up the NIL rankings. After all, she has made quite a fortune promoting the brands on TikTok. Now, almost a fortnight later, Livvy is making steady growth on the NIL list. On January 31, she was in the fourth position on the NIL list, published by On3.com. However, there’s more.

Livvy’s NIL deal has yet to experience any change in the numbers. It is still the same $4.2 million. But ranking-wise, Livvy Dunne is on a roll! She started the month in the seventh position on the leaderboard. In two weeks, she reached fifth. And now she is fourth. The numbers on the follower list from her social media handles have not changed drastically. Yet she is climbing the ladder on the list. She has almost caught up on Arch Manning, the difference between them is $1.4 million. Will she be able to dethrone him? well, that’s for us to see. But there is another issue that the 22-year-old needs to address.

The absence on the mat in the home match stings 

On January 31, LSU Gymnastics won a special tag. In the match against Mizzou in PMAC, the host scored 198.000. The score secured a stunning victory for the defending national champion. Also, the score made the Tigers only the second college gymnastics program this year to drop such a number on the board. A massive achievement, especially after tasting a defeat in its last match! But something was off in the Friday night match. 

Olivia Dunne didn’t show up in the floor exercise lineup during the match. The unexpected omission was surprising, given Livvy’s 9.70 score in the floor exercise at the last match. Yet this Friday, the floor exercise competition went on without her. We are yet to find out the reason for her absence. What led coach Jay Clark to keep the super senior away from the match? Questions are bound to come. At the same time, her absence from the match might impact her popularity and NIL valuation as well. So what could be in store for the Jersey native in the future? Let us know!