Dunne is one of the highest-earning NIL athletes in the country
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LSU gymnast Olivia "Livvy" Dunne has experienced a dramatic rise in popularity over the past handful of years, largely thanks to social media.
She appeared to begin sharing videos on TikTok around 2020, initially showing her participating in gymnastics. Dunne's content eventually evolved, and she shared more elements of her life away from the gym. The videos of Dunne dancing and skit-style clips seemed to boost her following on the platform.
Her popularity has made her a highly sought ambassador for several brands. Dunne has raked in millions in name, image and likeness (NIL) deals.
In July, Dunne announced she would return to college for a fifth season, writing on social media she's "not Dunne yet."
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Olivia Dunne of the LSU Tigers before a meet against the Florida Gators at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Feb. 23, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
While Dunne is gearing up for another season of competition at the NCAA level, she is also keeping her eye on the future.
OLIVIA DUNNE ANNOUNCES DECISION ON LSU RETURN
She pointed to her feature in Sports Illustrated last year when she spoke about opportunities that had the potential to propel her career once she leaves Baton Rouge.
"I feel like [Sports Illustrated] is something that can last beyond college," Dunne told the New York Post.
"I think that’s important, creating a substantial brand that will last post-college. And [SI Swim] is one of those, I don’t even want to call it a partnership because they’re like family to me. That’s been amazing."
Dunne also mentioned that she hopes her success with NIL inspires the next generation of female college athletes. She created the Livvy Fund, which focuses on guiding female student-athletes at LSU as they seek NIL deals.
Olivia Dunne of the LSU Tigers warms up at the Dickies Arena April 20, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Chris Parent/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
"Girls don’t know where to start," Dunne said. "Because that’s sometimes half the battle. And it’s very important to capitalize on your NIL while you’re in college if you’re a female because there’s not a lot of professional leagues after college for most women’s sports.
"So, I definitely want to do something [in NIL] overall after I’m done at LSU. And hopefully expand beyond LSU and help educate people and just help girls out. … I’ve always loved sports. So, definitely something in the sports realm."
Olivia Dunne of the LSU Tigers before a meet against the Florida Gators at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Feb. 23, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Established brands like Raising Cane’s, American Eagle, Nautica and Microsoft are among the companies that have partnered with the star gymnast.
Dunne has more than 5 million Instagram followers, in addition to her 8.1 million TikTok followers. She is dating Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
