Apart from being a mesmerizing gymnast, Olivia Dunne is also a bubbly young college student. And while she is very much capable of earning a bucket full of money, Livvy Dunne also likes to get free stuff. After all, we all feel our spirits lifted just a tad bit on receiving a free gift. Unfortunately, the young gymnast sensation could not accept any such treats for the majority of her time in college. This was due to the NCAA’s previous rule of not allowing a student-athlete to indulge in financial transactions. This would soon change, as in July 2021, the NCAA revised its name, image, and likeness rules.

This change came as a boon for several athletes, including Dunne, as they now had the flexibility to earn millions. However, looking back at the tough times, Dunne made it clear that accepting free things was almost a crime. And what’s worse, it could have led an athlete to be permanently banned from the NCAA as well! 

Olivia Dunne recalls ‘risky’ NCAA days

In the recently released LSU documentary on Amazon Prime, ‘The Money Game’, Olivia Dunne went candid about the risk involved in accepting free gifts. She stated that while a lot of brands wanted to give away gifts for free, the athletes had to be very careful about gently rejecting them. Elaborating on the topic, the LSU phenom said that the rules were so strict that it was very easy for an athlete to mix up and forget the dos and don’ts. And such a slip-up would then land the concerned athletes in grave danger.

Explaining the risks of keeping a steady and alert head back in the day, Dunne said, “You can’t take anything! You don’t want to risk it either because you can lose your NCAA eligibility, so it’s just not worth it. Taking a free sweatshirt or a free something, it’s not worth losing your eligibility.” While this might sound as scary, there was a huge mismatch when it came to the rules binding the normal students with the athletes. 

In the same documentary, Livvy Dunne expressed her frustration at how normal students were allowed to take gifts. Pouring out her emotions, Dunne mentioned how the feeling of watching her non-athlete friends having fun accepting her favorite brand’s sweatshirts “sucked.” Even her mother, Kat, protested against the bizarre NCAA norm and termed it “unfair.” Fortunately, things would change soon, and now Olivia Dunne is one of the biggest names in the NIL realm. 

Dunne’s fairytale flight to the summit of success

As rightly pointed out by herself, Olivia Dunne’s life changed once the restrictions on her earnings were lifted. Initially, she heard murmurs of the rules probably being changed in her freshman years. But a young Dunne was not ready to believe, as the idea of an age-old rule getting abolished seemed too far-fetched. However, once the bans were lifted, Olivia Dunne got swarmed with brand endorsements. 

As of 2024, Olivia Dunne has garnered a whopping $6 million in net worth. She has notched up deals with brands like Purina, Microsoft, Nautica, Snapchat, American Eagle, and more, which contributed largely to the expansion of her net worth. Outside of the NIL market, Dunne also garners significant revenue from her social media. 

With 5.3 million followers on Instagram and 8.1 million on TikTok, every upload Livvy Dunne makes is money. Thus, once annoyed at the NCAA bindings, Olivia Dunne is soaring high at the moment. With her college career extended by a year more, fans must expect more magical moments from the US gymnastics princess.