Popular gymnast Olivia Dunne is raising the alarm about the dwindling number of fans in the stands at women’s gymnastics events, and she thinks that the scoring system may be part of the problem.
Dunne took to her X account as Louisiana State University lost in an SEC matchup against Arkansas. LSU was ranked no. 2 going into the match.
But Dunne was shocked at how empty the stands were.
“I am sitting here watching NCAA gymnastics, and the empty seats are concerning. I care deeply about the growth in women’s sports, especially in the NCAA,” she wrote in X. “If you want fans to enjoy the sport and increase viewership, you have to look at what makes the crowds go crazy! People understand what a perfect 10 is and want people who do things that look great to be rewarded.
I am sitting here watching NCAA gymnastics and the empty seats are concerning. I care deeply about the growth in women’s sports especially in the NCAA. If you want fans to enjoy the sport and increase viewership, you have to look at what makes the crowds go crazy! People…
— Olivia Dunne (@livvydunne) January 27, 2025
“Too many deductions taken at a judge’s discretion feels the same as watching a basketball game that’s constantly interrupted with penalties or a football game with flags on every play. At some point, it feels negative and loses the entertainment factor that draws the crowd in. The number of questions I am currently getting from fans about the scoring is significant enough for me to share this concern. I love the art and intricacy of gymnastics, but let’s get more eyes on the sport!”
In a follow-up post, Dunne noted that she isn’t just talking about LSU but is worried about the whole sport.
“This is not about LS. This is about the sport. I’m in my 5th year, and I have an audience of casual fans, so maybe I’m in a unique position to see what is happening with fans differently than people just looking at attendance numbers. Fans are confused,” she wrote.
“I also spend time raising money for female athletes and will always advocate for athletes. Making changes that can impact the entertainment value will affect athletes financially as well. Female sports in the NCAA have to focus on building crowd engagement to continue to get revenue support for the athletes.”
This is not about LSU this is about the sport. I’m in my 5th year and I have an audience of casual fans so maybe I’m in a unique position to see what is happening with fans differently than people just looking at attendance numbers. Fans are confused. I also spend time raising…
— Olivia Dunne (@livvydunne) January 27, 2025
Gymnastics erupted in controversy during last year’s Olympics in Paris when American gymnast Jordan Chiles and her coach contested her scores and had the judges reverse them, awarding her a Bronze medal, only to see Olympics officials reverse the judges, thereby throwing the American athlete back off the winner’s podium.
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