GYMNASTICS
Who is Olivia Dunne? The LSU gymnast who is earning over $1 million dollars with NIL endorsements
The introduction of NIL endorsements opened up a new page of opportunities for athletes from ‘non-commercial’ sports, like artistic gymnastics.
According to different surveys, artistic gymnastics is the most anticipated Olympic sport among U.S. adults. More correctly, 62 percent of respondents said they were somewhat, or very interested in, watching gymnastics, which is headlined by Team USA’s legendary athlete Simone Biles.
It didn’t come as a surprise with the introduction of the student-athlete NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) contracts that the sponsors will eventually start to look at the NCAA gymnasts as their potential brand faces or ambassadors. Undoubtedly, many values of artistic gymnastics as a sport can be related to some brands and their philosophy on doing things.
Who is Olivia Dunne?
There comes a young LSU gymnast from Westwood, New Jersey, Olivia Dunne. The Tigers gymnast is one of the most famous women’s collegiate athletes, with the most significant social media following, and also one of the athletes with considerable net worth, all thanks to the newly introduced NIL contracts. Many experts believe Dunne already broke the estimated annual sponsor paycheck of $2 million per year.
Dunne, evidently one of the most popular athletes in the U.S. at the moment, was recently attacked by the N.Y. Times.
“Female college athletes make millions thanks to their large social media followings. But some who have fought for equity in women’s sports worry that their brand building is regressive,” reads the article that’s trending in social media.
The writer of this article found himself angry at the fact that she is white, outstanding in doing selfies, and will probably end up twenty times richer than him in her life. She definitely will, but he forgot to mention that Dunne is also a very talented athlete, which helps a lot in the decision of the sponsors to choose her.
At this moment, Olivia Dunne is more famous for her TikTok videos and Instagram posts than her undeniable athletic performance. The truth is “beauty always sells,” and regardless of that, college athletes should be earning all the money they can.