Free Republic

Olivia Dunne sounded the alarm about the lack of viewership in women’s gymnastics and suggested that the judges and the scoring system may be to blame. Dunne fired off an uncharacteristic critical post on X about the state of the sport. It came as LSU was upset in an SEC matchup against Arkansas. The Tigers came into the meeting as the No. 2 squad in the country. “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. “If you want fans to...

She was an all-American in her freshman year and made the Southeastern Conference’s honor roll as a sophomore majoring in interdisciplinary studies. Ahead of the start of her junior season, Dunne is also at the leading edge of a movement shaking the old foundations of college sports: a female student athlete raking in cash thanks to the passage in 2021 of new rules allowing college athletes to sign name, image and likeness, or N.I.L., deals.