Olivia Dunne’s had a rollercoaster ride lately, but things seem to be turning around for her. On January 19th, she was posting non-stop on Instagram, and it was pretty obvious why! The U.S. banned TikTok, where she had 8.1 million followers, under Biden’s administration. But then, on January 20, things flipped when Trump came back into office and lifted the TikTok ban. You’d think Olivia would be back to her usual posting frenzy on Instagram, right?

But, oddly enough, she didn’t post a thing. To make matters worse, her NIL ranking had already been on a downward slide since December. But her rank suddenly shot back up, possibly due to an error in the NIL system. While things seem to be stabilizing now but not all her challenges are behind her just yet.

At LSU’s second meet of the NCAA season on January 13, Olivia Dunne, a senior with LSU Gymnastics, competed at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad Meet, where the team finished second. The big story? Livvy competed in three events, making her first bar appearance of the season with a 9.725—not her best, adding another hurdle to her growing list of struggles. But the biggest blow to her was p course, the TikTok ban. But despite everything, it looks like things might finally be turning around for her after Trump’s rule.

Dunne suddenly gets a surprising advantage

With TikTok back, January 20 might just become the favorite day of the year for Olivia Dunne. But that’s not all. On this very day, Livvy received not one but two pieces of great news that gave her plenty to celebrate. Let’s start with her NIL journey. Back in November, Olivia was sitting comfortably at #2 on the NIL rankings with a NIL value of $3.9 million, which later grew to $4.2 million.

Despite the rise in value, she slipped to #3 by December 2024, with Shedeur Sanders holding the top spot. Things took a turn for the worse as she fell to #5, then #6, and eventually #7. However, the tides seem to be turning—over the last two weeks, Olivia climbed back to #5 and now sits proudly at #4 with the same $4.2 million NIL valuation.

According to on3.com, leading the chart is Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, valued at $6.6 million, followed by Carson Beck at $4.4 million and Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg at $4.3 million. Olivia remains the highest-ranked female athlete in NIL and the only woman in the top 20. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders, who was once at #1 with a $6.5 million valuation and later dropped to #2, has now mysteriously fallen completely out of the top 100. What happened?

It’s unclear, but some think it could be a mistake in the NIL system. On the flip side, Quinn Ewers, who was ranked #4 with a $4.5 million valuation, is also nowhere to be found in the top 100 anymore. Both of their drops are a bit of a head-scratcher. Could it be an error, or is there something else going on with their rankings? Whatever happened, this proved to be a blessing in disguise for Olivia Dunne. But now, what is the second piece of good news for Livvy?

TikTok is back, and so is Olivia’s favorite platform! For Livvy, TikTok is more than just a social media app; it’s the foundation of her empire. With 8.1 million followers, major sponsorship deals, and countless viral posts, TikTok has been key to her rise since she joined the platform during the pandemic in 2020. So when the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling led to TikTok’s ban, it was a major blow to her and her fans and career. However, due to President Trump’s executive order delaying the ban, TikTok has returned to American users, and Olivia doesn’t have to say goodbye to the platform that helped define her success.

On January 19th, as TikTok came back online, Olivia wasted no time sharing her excitement. In classic Livvy style, she posted a playful TikTok captioned, “Wait what😭,” showcasing her surprise and joy at the news. She added to the fun in the video description, writing, “Me opening TikTok out of habit, but it’s working again.” It’s clear she was thrilled, but the real question is—will this spark help her climb back into the top 2 where she once was?

Is Olivia Dunne about to lose her NIL throne?

Olivia Dunne is currently in her last year of college at LSU, despite having received her diploma in December 2024. Thanks to the NCAA’s extra eligibility rule due to COVID, she’s returning for one more season of NCAA gymnastics. It’s a big year for her, as she aims to grab another NCAA trophy. As for her NIL, she’s currently sitting at #4, with only a $100,000 difference between her and the #3 spot. If any athletes ahead of her see a drop, it could be an opportunity for Olivia to move up.

But with just a few months left in her NCAA season and no major new deals in sight, it’s hard to predict if she’ll rise in the rankings. Now, the big question is—since Olivia benefited from Trump’s administration when it came to TikTok, could he potentially address another major issue faced by her and other athletes when it comes to NIL?

Before Trump became president, Biden ordered schools under Title IX to divide NIL payments fairly between male and female student-athletes. The changes try to create equal NIL pay opportunities across genders but pose a risk to Olivia Dunne’s status as the foremost female college athlete profiting from NIL deals. Greater access to equal NIL opportunities would help other female athletes earn more like Dunne. But, now with Trump’s administration, will they change this current rule in the near future? The administration’s action could reshape the current NIL payment system for college programs.