When we talk about the highest-paid NIL athlete in women’s sports, Olivia Dunne is at the top. But here’s the question: how much longer can she hold that position? Not so long! A proposed policy from the Biden administration could require colleges to distribute NIL opportunities more equally, aiming to create a level playing field for women in sports. While this would open doors for more female athletes to achieve similar success, it could pose challenges for Olivia, who stands as the only woman in the top 20 NIL earners—dominated otherwise by men. So, let’s know the full story.

The Biden administration recently dropped a bombshell by saying Title IX now applies to NIL payments. This means that colleges will have to ensure “proportionate” payments for male and female athletes, as NIL revenue-sharing would now be considered “athletic financial assistance.” This could really change how schools divvy up NIL money, especially with the House v. NCAA settlement on the horizon in 2025, which caps payments at $20 million—mostly going to football players. But now, with Donald Trump set to retake office as president, there’s a lot of uncertainty about whether the new administration will shake things up.

Senator Ted Cruz, for one, isn’t a fan of the ruling. He thinks mandating equal pay for athletes across the board could lead to serious problems. “This is a great idea if Biden’s intent is to kill both men’s and women’s college sports,” Cruz said. He argues that if some sports aren’t generating as much revenue, schools could end up cutting athletics altogether. “Everyone wants to be paid like Michael Jordan, but that’s not the way the world works. I predict this scheme will die on Jan. 20.” But not everyone agrees with Cruz.

Attorney Arthur Bryant, who’s representing female athletes in lawsuits over NIL pay disparities, thinks Cruz has it wrong. Bryant points out that this isn’t about “equal pay,” but about preventing discrimination. “Biden’s administration is not mandating equal pay. This is about s** discrimination,” Bryant explained, stressing that Title IX prohibits schools from treating male and female athletes unfairly when it comes to money.

As Trump takes office, the question is whether his team will reverse course. But Bryant isn’t worried. He believes the ruling is solid, and the law won’t change. “I think it’s unlikely that the Trump Administration would even try to correct it because I think it’s right [with the law],” he said. But it’s not just lawyers and politicians speaking out. So while the landscape of college sports is shifting, one thing seems clear: the debate over NIL and gender equity is far from over. But how can it be problematic to Olivia Dunne?

Although Dunne has been among the highest-paid female athletes in women’s sports, these shifts may help more women make more NIL deals and build a stage where additional women athletes are almost at the same level of achievement as Dunne. Such competition could erode her dominance as the highest-paid female athlete. It is heartbreaking for her. When comparing the current NIL situation, Livvy is already facing some issues

The impact of a possible TikTok ban on Olivia Dunne’s earnings

Dunne, who previously ranked second in terms of NIL earnings, has now fallen down to fifth place. The athletes like Shedeur Sanders and Arch Manning and more in front of her continue to expand their NIL valuations, whereas Olivia’s NIL value remains stagnant and has not signed up with any new NIL deals. On top of that, if TikTok gets banned, it could really hurt her NIL earnings since so much of her influence comes from her eight million followers on the app.

It would be a major setback for Olivia Dunne if she lost that platform that has been building her career since 2020, and of course, her NIL ranking will drop again due to it. As a senior at LSU, Dunne had four months left in college to raise her NIL, but with it, it doesn’t seem so! She’ll need to start planning for her career after college.