LSU graduate Olivia Dunne has been criticized for her decision to return to college gymnastics for a fifth year almost all season – only this time, she’s clapped back.
In a TikTok posted to her account last night, Dunne responded to a comment left on a previous video capturing LSU gymnastics’ senior night ceremony, where the gymnast reflected on her time alongside her teammates.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be a senior for the next 10 years,” TikTok user Clayton Bigsby’s comment read.
Dunne replied with a video explaining that she was granted a fifth year at LSU after the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to take it, expressing that she doesn’t understand why her choice is difficult for others to grasp.
In 2020, the NCAA decided that D1 universities may offer its athletes a fifth year of eligibility if their spring seasons were shortened by the worldwide pandemic, a fifth year many athletes have decided to take.
“I only ever see this comment on female athletes’ posts,” Dunne said. “Football and basketball players red-shirt and take fifth years all the time.”
Another college athlete who’s taken a fifth-year season due to the pandemic is UNC’s RJ Davis, who received praise after announcing his decision to continue to play basketball for his university last year on Instagram.
“Great Day to be a Tarheel Fan,” one of over 1,500 comments read.
When the Hillsdale, New Jersey native announced her return to LSU gymnastics in a similar post, some responses in the comment section were arguably different.
“Def because she makes millions from NIl and won’t kiss that goodbye prematurely,” an Instagram user commented.
Dunne has continued to receive this kind of criticism throughout the year and took time to mention LSU’s returning red-shirt quarterback, Garret Nussmeier, in her response.
“The starting quarterback of LSU football is coming back for a fifth year,” she said in last night’s video. “This comment is nowhere to be found on his account.”
Many TikTok users commented on Dunne’s distinction of this negative feedback between male and female athletes returning for a fifth year, arguing that they grill male athletes as much as they do female ones.
“Stetson Bennett was getting flamed 2 years ago wym?” one user said, evoking a response in a comment from the gymnast.
“‘I’m 22 he was 24/25,” Dunne said. “Good for him coming back and balling out tho lol.”
She also acknowledged another audience in her video – one that feels she only returned for the money involved in her career – clarifying that she gave up her scholarship to return for her fifth year.
While none of the LSU gymnastics team has made an official response to Dunne’s video, former all-around LSU gymnast Savannah Schoenherr and current special assistant to head gymnastics coach Jay Clark left a comment on the TikTok reading, “Period Liv.”
