‘Empty seats are concerning’ – Gymnastics officials take issue with passionate Livvy Dunne’s solution to fix college gymnastics
Livvy Dunne has taken to social media to voice her concerns over NCAA gymnastics.
The LSU star is one of the most popular college athletes in the world, boasting eight million followers on TikTok and a further 5.3 million on Instagram.
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But she’s finding that her social media popularity doesn’t particularly translate to attendance at gymnastics meets.
Taking to X on Sunday night, Dunne suggested confusion over scoring and a new judging evaluation system are two reasons the sport struggles to draw a crowd.
"I am sitting here watching NCAA gymnastics and the empty seats are concerning,” Dunne wrote.
“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!
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"People understand what a perfect 10 is and want people who do things that look great to be rewarded.”
Dunne then addressed concerns about the NCAA scoring process, which she says have been brought to her attention by several fans.
She believes the NCAA is currently deterring fans from showing up to events or tuning in on TV.
“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 continued.
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“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!”
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Dunne and and her LSU Tigers teammates fell to No. 17 Arkansas in their most recent meet last Friday.
While they were far from their best on the floor, losing 196.600-196.875, the lower scores could be a consequence of the new judging evaluation system.
The shock result could damage their bid for an SEC Regular Season title, and may well have been a factor in Dunne's decision to post her message.
But after sharing her initial statement on X, the 22-year-old followed up with a second post 40 minutes later, suggesting she was sharing her concerns not only for LSU, but the sport as a whole.
"This is not about LSU this is about the sport. 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," Dunne wrote.
"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.
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"Female sports in the NCAA have to focus on building crowd engagement to continue to get revenue support for the athletes."
Dunne's post quickly caught the attention of others in the sport, who shared differing opinions on the points she raised.
“10s are earned, not given,” Morgan Belvedere, a three-time NCAA Champion, wrote.
"Universities should focus on marketing their student-athletes and the sport better. Give fans a reason to show up outside of just school loyalty.
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"The integrity of the sport should not be diminished for the sake of entertainment by giving out fake perfect scores.”
A retired NCAA judge also commented on Dunne's post, suggesting 'gymnastics without deductions isn’t a sport.'
There is also an argument to suggest the reality for NCAA attendances is far more optimistic.
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A number of schools, including the University of Maryland and Michigan State, recently set new crowd records.
In Friday’s upset win over LSU, the Arkansas Razorbacks also set their student attendance record.
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