On July 1, 2021, the NIL rule changed, and as Olivia Dunne said, “That day, my life changed.” Before this new policy, college athletes couldn’t make a dime from their sports—no brand deals, no cuts from TV deals or merchandise sales, and they risked losing their eligibility if they earned any money. But once the NCAA allowed athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness, everything shifted. Now, Dunne and others have been cashing in on the billions that college sports generate, and she’s already made hundreds of thousands of dollars since the change.

Well, LSU gymnastics star Livvy Dunne has become a major name in college sports, drawing significant brand attention during the NIL era. In the new Prime video series ‘The Money Game,’ viewers get an in-depth look at how student-athletes like Livvy make and manage their earnings. Livvy attributes her rapid rise to the pandemic and social media, saying, “Things massively increased during the COVID break.” But this journey wasn’t easy for her.

She joined TikTok in 2020, initially posting gymnastics videos, but soon expanded to share other aspects of her life. As she explains, “I had about 100,000 followers from just gymnastics. That kind of blew up when quarantine came around and TikTok became popular.”

During this time, many of her favorite brands reached out with offers for free products, but due to the restrictive NIL rules at the time, she couldn’t accept any of these opportunities. “There were normal students who could make money or accept free products from brands, but as a student-athlete, I couldn’t work with my favorite brands that were reaching out to me. That sucked.”

She added, “I remember my freshman year of college, people, including my coaches, talking about how the rule might change and that I might be able to capitalize on my brand. I thought it would be crazy, but I didn’t really think anything of it.”

Even Olivia Dunne’s mother, Kat, spoke out about the situation in 2023, emphasizing the unfairness. She said, “She came to college with this audience, and for her not to be able to use her own name, image, and likeness because it was wrapped up in these NCAA rules—basically, they owned her—was really unfair.” Kat pointed out that the restrictions were so tight that Olivia couldn’t even benefit from her social media popularity, and even enjoying a simple cup of coffee was complicated. As Livvy’s mother puts it, “She Couldn’t Earn a Single Dollar.”

But everything changed on July 1, 2021, when the NIL rule was updated. The Supreme Court’s decision to side with former student-athletes opened new doors for college athletes. Livvy’s NIL department quickly seized the opportunity, even putting up a billboard of her in New York City. However, as Livvy points out, the rise in opportunities also brought about some ‘salty’ reactions.

Olivia Dunne shuts up the naysayers

Colleges have raked in billions, mostly from football and basketball, while athletes were left out of the profits due to strict amateur rules. For years, the NCAA defended the notion of the amateur student-athlete, but that idea started to unravel when former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon saw his image used in a video game.

It was a game-changing moment when he asked, “Is that you? Left hand on that? Yes, that is me.” That simple realization sparked a lawsuit that questioned the fairness of keeping athletes from sharing in the massive revenue their talents helped generate.

The NCAA argues that the appeal of college sports lies in its amateurism, which distinguishes it from professional leagues. As former NCAA President Mark Emmert stated, “Student-athletes are students; they are not employees.” Michael Hausfeld, civil attorney for Ed O’Bannon, noted that “The NCAA has tried to distance their system from being a business, maintaining a paternalistic mentality for almost 100 years. No one challenged it until now.” However, he added, those days are over.

Players in various sports can now benefit from NIL deals, which is great news for college athletes. However, critics argue that it’s turning into “pay-for-play,” making the college sports landscape more chaotic. As Olivia Dunne puts it, “Don’t be a hater, there’s always going to be salty people.” Some commentators have reflected on how quickly things have changed, saying, “Last July, NIL started, and now less than a year later, it’s already a mess.”

The system is being compared to the Wild West, with athletes jumping from school to school and different states having conflicting laws. Some fear that this rapid shift could lead to a collapse, with one athlete even saying, “I can’t really express what I want to say about it.”

So, with all that said, as long as you’re happy, that’s what really counts, right? But let’s get to the real question—just how much does 21-year-old Livvy Dunne actually make? Right now, she’s got a huge following, with over 8.1 million on TikTok and 5.3 million on Instagram. That kind of influence pays off big time—Livvy earned a whopping $9.5 million while at LSU. Parade.com reports that her net worth is estimated to be $6 million in 2024; it’s clear she’s had quite the financial journey!