An LSU athlete’s name has been officially entered into the Congressional record as the most valuable NIL earner in college sports.
During a hearing on name-image-likeness regulations, Ole Miss NIL collective director Walker Jones was asked by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina while on the stand which current athlete makes the most money through NIL deals.
Jones’s response was LSU senior gymnast Olivia Dunne.
This appears to be the first time Dunne has been labeled as the biggest NIL earner in the country. On3 Sports and their NIL valuation tool still list Dunne as the highest-earning woman but #3 overall behind USC basketball player Bronny James (son of LeBron James) and Colorado football star Shedeur Sanders (son of Deion Sanders).
If nothing else, Dunne is tops among athletes without Hall of Fame or future Hall of Fame athletes for parents.
The Congressional shout-out does seem to show that Dunne is quickly becoming the face of NIL rights. She’s only a few weeks removed from appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated alongside fellow LSU star Angel Reese after the publication did their own story on NIL money and college’s top earners.
“People definitely discredit what I do,” Dunne told Sports Illustrated in reference to the money she earns for her social media presence. “People need to understand that I’ve worked for everything I’ve earned. I’ve spent years building an audience, and brands pay me for what they believe is worth the reach of the demographic that I offer.”