Livvy Dunne fumes college gymnastics getting ruined in epic rant

LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne has quite a following on social media. But she’s finding that this doesn’t translate to attendance to gymnastics meets at the college level.

Livvy Dunne 2024 — Feb 2, 2024; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Lady Tigers senior Olivia 'Livvy' Dunne performs a floor routine against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Today, Dunne took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her frustration over the lack of attendance at recent gymnastics meets, as she’s seen in her own experience, as well as on television broadcasts.

“I am sitting here watching NCAA gymnastics and the empty seats are concerning,” Dunne wrote, suggesting that the higher-ups analyze what works to build audiences.. “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 understand what a perfect 10 is and want people who do things that look great to be rewarded.”

Dunne continued, addressing concerns about the NCAA scoring process, which she says have been brought to her attention by several fans. The gymnast and megainfluencer believe that the scoring process is deterring fans from showing up and tuning in.

“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,” Dunne said. “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!”

She wrote a follow-up post, advocating not only for herself, but other women athletes at other universities.

“This is not about LSU this is about the sport,” Dunne said. “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 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.”

Dunne’s posts come as she’s been in New York City, celebrating her boyfriend — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes — who received his Jackie Robinson Award for Rookie of the Year in the National League at the BBWAA Awards Dinner in New York City last night. Earlier today, the superstar couple took a stroll through Central Park.

But even in the big city, Dunne can’t help but keep her mind on the mat.

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