LSU’s Olivia Dunne will likely be among the top headliners at the 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics championships this week, regardless of her performance.
Dunne, a junior, is not in contention for any individual national title. Nor has she been a significant contributor for the Tigers this year, competing only a few times this season while dealing with a myriad of injuries.
And yet Dunne is considered, among certain swathes of fans, to be the biggest draw at the NCAA championships. She has among the greatest social media followings of any college athlete, reaching a combined 11.2 million followers among her Instagram, TikTok and Twitter accounts per On3 Sports; that trails only Bronny James’ 12.8 million reached on Instagram and TikTok.
(No surprise, that level of exposure has given her the top NIL valuation of any woman competing in college athletics this season — she’s first among women with an estimated $3.5 million in NIL valuation. That ranks her third among all athletes, man or woman, for 2023).
MORE: Watch NCAA gymnastics championships live with fubo (free trial)
Because of her viral reach on social media, Dunne undoubtedly will draw eyes at this year’s NCAA gymnastics championship — regardless of whether those watching are interested in her, or the outcome of the…
