Just days back, LSU superstar gymnast Olivia Dunne formally objected to the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement, which seeks to resolve antitrust allegations and reshape how college athletes are compensated. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, Dunne criticized the proposed agreement for its lack of transparency, inequitable distribution, and exclusion of athletes from the decision-making process. As one of the NCAA’s most notable faces, this carries considerable weight.

With 13.7 million social media followers and a NIL valuation of $4.2 million (more than any other female college athlete ever), Dunne’s success is an example of the untapped potential of athletes outside traditional revenue sports like football and basketball, lending credibility to her critiques of a settlement that many believe favors those programs disproportionately. She argued that the formula for calculation of lost NIL opportunities fails to reflect the value athletes could have achieved if NCAA restrictions hadn’t been in place, especially for those with significant marketability.

She was also concerned about the lack of critical information during the decision-making process, stating, “Especially in a case where the school provided no NIL data, athletes could not upload their own data to adjust and correct their estimate without filing a claim and waiving their right to opt out of the damages class. This left the athlete to have to make a decision without accurate information.” This, according to her, forced athletes into making high-stakes decisions without sufficient understanding of their potential payout. Another point she raised is the exclusion of athletes from the settlement negotiations. But what made Livvy take a stand in this debate?

In a conversation with the Guardian, Dunne made it clear. And it is nothing but the fate of the sport of gymnastics which is a non-revenue sport. “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.” she said. She argues that anything that might potentially cause a dip in popularity and fan engagement, such as the new judging accountability system and resultant lower scores, seems like the wrong choice at this particular juncture. “I don’t think that [the] timing is right because of what’s happening in the future,” she said.

For context, a new accountability system has just been put in place to deal with the overscoring in the past seasons and the subsequent proliferation of perfect 10s. Last year, there were 87 perfect marks in women’s college gymnastics, just a few less than the high water mark of 91 back in 2004. And behind all of those 10s, were even more 9.975s (meaning at least one judge threw out a 10 for that score), 9.95s, and 9.9s. At times, it felt like the judges weren’t rigorously evaluating gymnasts’ routines based only on the performance.

With all that, so far this season, the scores have gone down significantly. High marks were still there but routines that in years past might have earned a 9.9 were getting 9.8s; and there have only been three 10s so far, while at this point in 2024, there had been more than 20. If the trend continues, there will be far fewer 10s this season than there have been in many years. Dunne is concerned that this downturn might rob the sport of its popularity that we have seen in recent years.

As Dunne pointed out in an X post on January 27, “I’m sitting here watching NCAA gymnastics and the empty seats are concerning. 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.” The post drew criticism, particularly from gymnastics fans who have been concerned about the scoring inflation of the past five years. What surprised them even more was the fact that LSU is an excellent position in collegiate gymnastics. So what was in the back of her mind when she wrote that?

Olivia Dunne is worried about the overall well-being of the sport of gymnastics

“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,” Dunne told the Guardian about this criticism. “My concern is the longevity of gymnastics and keeping fans interested for the long run.” Yes, she truly stands for the sport itself here.

“I’m not doing it for myself or LSU,” Dunne said of her comments about scoring and popularity. Her collegiate career will be over at the end of this season. She’s probably secured, for the many years to come. On the other hand, LSU is a program that needn’t worry about the coming changes. Its fanbase is well-established. “LSU fans are die-hard fans. People that love gymnastics here are season-ticket holders. They love it. They would never miss a meet.” Indeed, they have been with this program for nearly 50 years before seeing their first championship ring.

“I’m talking about smaller programs as well that don’t have boosters like LSU. … They’re going to have to fight to keep their programs alive if they don’t have fans or engagement or popularity. It’s going to be a lot harder for those programs.”

Women’s college gymnastics entered this season after a stellar last few years, with record-breaking attendance and TV viewership numbers. Also, prominent athletes like Dunne and Olympic medalists like Chiles and Jade Carey earned big NIL bucks and received significant media attention. So there is hope that gymnastics will only see a further rise from here. But just like in a tightly contested meet, the tides can quickly turn. It is not without a reason to be worried about a future that seems so uncertain with the House v NCAA saga. “That has been heavy on my mind and my heart, about keeping the sport relevant, keeping it in people’s eyes, getting the recognition that gymnastics deserves,” Dunne said. The proposed settlement is set for final approval on April 7.