Olivia Dunne is less than a million dollars away from ranking as the No. 1 in the NIL earning realm. While the LSU gymnast is known for her deals with big brands and her impressive social media followers, a lot of her success as the second highest value in terms of NIL could be due to the downfall of Bronny James’ NIL value.

Just two months ago, Livvy was holding the number three spot in the NIL rankings with a $3.7 M NIL value. While she only saw a minor increase in her numbers, the $582K loss suffered by the son of basketball legend LeBron James boosted her to the second spot. The leap greatly highlights the unpredictable twists in the competitive world of collegiate endorsements.

The rise and fall of NIL values: Bronny James vs. Olivia Dunne

Well, in 2023, Bronny James was ranked highest in NIL value with an impressive $5.9 million. However, his career took a downturn in July 2023 after he suffered a cardiac arrest. His recovery period kept him off the court for nearly five months, during which his NIL valuation dropped to $4.5 million. Upon his return in December, Bronny struggled to perform, and his team failed to qualify for March Madness.

However, by April of the year 2024, his NIL value had dropped to $3.7 million. Subsequently, in June 2024, there was again a decrease of $582,000 in his NIL value bringing it down to $3.2 million. On the other hand, Olivia’s NIL was growing stronger with each day. But what are the contributing factors that have led to an increase in Olivia Dunnes’ NIL value while Bronny James has experienced a decline continuously?

A month ago, Olivia Dunne made headlines by announcing a partnership, with Passes, a platform designed to support creators in building and monetizing their social media presence through exclusive content. The agreement was finalized on May 1st. It was reported that it was a multi-million dollar deal. However, the exact numbers have not been made public.

“By offering exclusive content and experiences, I can turn my passion for gymnastics as a college athlete and content creation into a sustainable career path, and build deeper connections with my fans and supporters. I love how Passes is so user-friendly too. It’s intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simple for creators to set up their accounts, create content, and engage with their audience without any technical barriers,” she said explaining her deal.

Olivia’s NIL stood at $3.9 million, securing her the second spot in the NIL rankings ahead of Bronny James, who was at $3.7 million at the time. With a $200,000 gap between their respective NIL values in May 2024, if James had inked a significant deal around that time, he could have easily overtaken Olivia Dunne in the rankings.

However, James’ NIL value again dropped and widened the gap between him and Olivia Dunne’s NIL value to $700,000, making it really difficult for James to claim the second spot from Dunne. But currently, Shedeur Sanders, the University of Colorado quarterback, holds the top spot in NIL value at $4.6 million. Yet, with just one strategic decision, Olivia Dunne could potentially surpass him and claim the number-one position in the NIL rankings.

Can Olivia Dunne dethrone Shedeur Sanders?

The gymnastic star has already accumulated multiple NIL deals from American Eagle, Vuori, Nautica, Body Armour, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and GrubHub, Forever 21, Accelerator energy drink. The next decision Dunne has to make is about her additional year of LSU eligibility stemming from the COVID-19-disrupted 2020 season.

If she joins LSU gymnastics for one more year, her NIL will further rise, especially after winning the recent NCAA championship, as she can attract even more lucrative offers. While Shedeur Sanders boasts multiple NIL deals with major brands such as Beats by Dre, Nike, Mercedes Benz, and Gatorade, the difference between his NIL value and Olivia Dunne’s is $700,000. Given her growing success, Olivia has the potential to close this gap.

Meanwhile, Bronny James faces a critical period. If his NIL value continues to decline, his position could be further jeopardized. To maintain his standing, Bronny needs to improve his on-court performance and secure his place as a key player. For now, all these athletes need to make some right choices in their professional careers so that it can significantly impact their financial standings in the NIL rankings.