Olivia Dunne is set to be a Tiger for a fifth year! In a move that has fans cheering and the internet buzzing, the gymnastics/internet sensation announced on Monday, July 8, 2024, that she’s not hanging up her LSU leotard just yet. Taking to Instagram, Livvy shared the exciting news with a playful twist, captioning her post with “not Dunne yet.”

Her news came with a heartwarming snippet that captured her journey from a young girl with a passion for gymnastics to a megastar and NCAA champion with LSU. In a voiceover, Livvy narrated a heartfelt letter, saying, “Dear LSU, These past four years have changed my life. There’s something about putting on a purple and gold leotard. There’s something about competing in front of 13,000 screaming Tiger fans. There’s something about being pushed by your coaches to do your very best. And there’s something about being part of a team that made school history.”

Despite being the highest-paid female NCAA athlete, Livvy emphasized that her life at LSU surpassed all the opportunities awaiting her outside of it. Olivia Dunne said, “No matter how many opportunities come my way off the mat, there’s just something about LSU. And that’s why I’m here to say, I’m not Dunne yet.” She wrapped up her message with a note drop saying, “Here’s to Year Five, baby.”

In response to Livvy’s post, fans couldn’t contain their excitement. Her comment section was flooded with a wave of fan frenzy. Baby Gronk exclaimed, “I AM GOING TO EVERY LSU MEET.” LSU teammate and dear friend Savannah Schoenherr wrote, “That’s right 🔥🔥,” and Livvy’s sister Julz Dunne added, “CHEERS 🍻.”

Accelerator Active Energy, one of Livvy’s NIL partners, joined the excitement with, “NOT DUNNE YET 🗣️🗣️🗣️.” Fans were just as eager to share their enthusiasm. One person wrote, “She’s backkkkkk🏆🏆🏆,” while another shared, “Well said and well done. Always show respect to the ‘Ones’ that brought You up.” Reflecting on this fan love, let’s take a quick glance at Olivia’s growth with LSU over the past four years.

Olivia Dunne the NIL queen of LSU

Livvy joined the LSU Tigers gymnastics team in 2020 and quickly made her mark. Throughout the 2020–21 season, she competed on the uneven bars in every regular-season meet. During her four years at LSU, Olivia Dunne not only excelled academically, making the SEC Academic Honor Roll every year, but also made waves off the mat with million-dollar NIL deals.

Valued at about $3.9 million, she’s now the top-earning NCAA female athlete, second only to Shedeur Sanders under the NIL policy. In 2024, Olivia Dunne and the LSU Lady Tigers gymnastics squad snagged their first-ever national championship in April.

Livvy showed off her skills on bars and floor in nine meets, hitting season highs of 9.875 and 9.900, respectively. Reflecting on her decision to return for another season, Livvy shared, “This past year I found a renewed love of the sport. I had trained a lot in the off season, so I felt really strong and healthy from the start and ready to contribute.”

She expressed that while winning the national championships was a great team accomplishment, “I feel like I have more to give as an individual competitor.” Looking ahead, Livvy is gearing up for her fifth and final year at LSU in 2025, joining teammates Haleigh Bryant, Sierra Ballard, Chase Brock, and Alyona Shchennikova for their last season together. What do you think about this epic return of the LSU stars and Olivia Dunne’s final year as an LSU Tiger? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!