“People don't want to see me being funny"- Olivia Dunne reveals how she caters to fans’ preferences following NIL deals rather than showing fun side

LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne has reflected on how her lifestyle has changed since the introduction of the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) rule. Notably, the NCAA implemented a policy that allowed college student-athletes to earn money through brands in June 2021.

Dunne, who joined the LSU Tigers gymnastics team in 2021, announced her return for a fifth year in 2025 by utilizing her final year of eligibility. She shared the news on her social media platforms.

Through NIL, Olivia Dunne has amassed partnerships with a lot of popular brands including Vuori, Accelerator Active Energy, Forever 21, American Eagle, and Nautica among others. In May 2024, she signed a multi-millionaire NIL collaboration with Passes, a platform that helps creators generate revenue by allowing users to view exclusive content related to them.

Although her fame skyrocketed due to the NIL deals, Dunne also faced challenges. In the Prime Video new docuseries ‘The Money Game: LSU’, the 21-year-old opened up feeling overwhelmed because of the increased attention and shared her struggles with body image during the period.

Dunne said:

“After NIL started, there's a whole new plethora of eyes that were on me. So, I just didn't know what to do. And, it was really hard with body image for a while.

“I had a hard time balancing. You know, if I should fuel my body like a model, if I should fuel my body like an athlete.”

Dunne highlighted how her audience preferred a certain type of content from her because of the brand image she had built for herself. She said:

“People like certain content from me, I would consider myself kind of funny but like people don't want to see me being funny. People would just want to see me doing my gymnastics and my lifestyle because I've already created this brand with what works.”

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Besides Olivia Dunne, The Money Game docuseries features LSU stars Angel Reese and Jayden Daniels

Olivia Dunne speaks during The Money Game world premiere at Pete Maravich Assembly Center (Photo by LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)

In addition to Olivia Dunne, The Money Game features American football quarterback Jayden Daniels, professional basketball player Angel Reese, 100m hurdler Alia Armstrong, rapper & college basketball player Flau'jae Johnson, and Trace Young, who is a guard on the LSU men’s basketball team.

The docuseries is split into six episodes - (i) The Wild West, (ii) The Price Just Went Up, (iii) You Can’t See Me, (iv) Not Just an Athlete, (v) The Bag Man, and (vi) Love of the Game, all released on September 9, 2024. It delves into the lives of the athletes and how the NIL policy has impacted their lifestyle.

One can watch The Money Game via an Amazon Prime membership, accessible by paying either $139 annually or $14.99 monthly.