Olivia Dunne once said, “The NIL rule changed, that’s the day my life changed,” and honestly, she’s not wrong. It’s what helped her become one of the highest-paid NCAA athletes. As a 2024 national champion with LSU’s gymnastics team, Dunne’s estimated net worth is around $9.5 million, thanks to her NIL deals and over 13.66 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and X. So, you might be wondering, how much is her NIL deal worth? According to On3.com, her value is $4.2 million, making her the highest-paid female college athlete. But hey, what about the guys?

Before Olivia Dunne announced her return to LSU for the 2024 season, due to NCAA eligibility relief from the pandemic, everyone thought her NIL value was set to skyrocket. LSU had just won the NCAA title, and with Dunne’s huge social media following, it seemed like the perfect moment for her to cash in. But did it happen? Sort of but not in the way people expected. Before rejoining LSU, her NIL value was $3.9 million. After her return, she dropped from second to third in the rankings, although her value rose to$4.2 million.

At the same time, Arch Manning, the red-shirt freshman from the Manning family, saw his valuation shoot up to $4.8 million—$600,000 more than hers. And just when it seemed like things couldn’t get worse, the next day, Travis Hunter, Colorado’s standout wide receiver and cornerback, took third place with a $4.5 million valuation, pushing Olivia further down to fourth with the same Nil value. But that wasn’t the end of it—another twist came, and things got even more competitive.

So, suddenly, on December 13, Travis Hunter went from third to second in the NIL rankings, earning a staggering $700,000 boost from $4.5 million to $5.2 million. He’s now just a short distance from the $6 million mark longer. Arch Manning also saw an increase to his NIL valuation, going from $4.8M to $5M, an increase of $200k. Moving to December 29th, Olivia Dunne encounters yet another blow. Her worth is still at $4.2 million, while Arch Manning has it at $5.5 million; that’s half a million more than before, thereby making Olivia far behind at $1.3 million.

Travis Hunter also showed an increase, to $5.7 million from $5.2 million. Head and shoulders above everyone else, Shedeur Sanders remains at $6.5 million from the previous $6.2 million. However, Olivia has remained static in her position; all the movement seems to be happening around her. So now, the big question is: Could Olivia Dunne’s NIL ranking drop even further?

Olivia Dunne’s NIL ranking is in jeopardy as the competition grows

Olivia Dunne’s NIL ranking is looking a bit precarious right now. She’s holding onto the 4th spot with a value of $4.2 million, but just behind her is AJ Dybantsa, who’s valued at $3.8 million, only a $400,000 gap. Things are getting close. Before Dybantsa, Cooper Flagg was in 5th place with a value of $2.9 million, but his NIL has recently increased to $3.3 million. So, Olivia’s definitely got some competition as other athletes around her are seeing their values climb.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Football players are currently reigning on the NIL game. Out of the 10 athletes with the highest ratings, Olivia is the only female which makes her name the highest-earning female college NIL. The rest are all male football players and then a couple of basketball stars are thrown in there. Hence, although Olivia remains pretty much competitive and would keep her spot regardless, there is a lot of action around her and things are shifting increasingly.

With the NCAA season about to start, Olivia Dunne’s NIL value could get a serious boost. As the season kicks into gear, we’ll likely see more of her on the mat, which means more eyes on her already huge social media following and growing list of sponsorships. That’s only going to drive her NIL value up even more.

Nels Popp, a sports business professor at the University of North Carolina, recently shared some interesting thoughts on where college athletics are headed. He pointed out that, at some point, college athletes might not even be in college anymore, not in the traditional sense, anyway. As he told ABC4.com, “At some point, I think people might have to understand that maybe college athletes don’t go to college anymore… There could be more radical changes, and as long as they’re wearing the right logo and the right colors, I’m not sure that fans really care.”

Basically, the whole idea of athletes as “students first” seems to be fading as NIL deals take over. And that’s something we’re seeing with athletes like Olivia Dunne, who’s more behind the scenes these days, focusing on sponsorships rather than being front-and-center in big competitions. It’s making some people wonder: as athletes like Olivia Dunne get more focused on building their personal brands, is the real purpose of college sports showcasing talent getting lost in the process?