LSU Stars Livvy Dunne, Flau’jae Johnson Share What Leads to NIL Success

LSU stars Livvy Dunne and Flau'jae Johnson revealed what it takes to find success in the world of NIL.

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

The LSU Tigers have found a ton of success across multiple sports during the age of NIL. That has led to their student-athletes being some of the highest earners in the country.

While a massive chunk of NIL money goes toward men’s sports, LSU has two of the most successful women’s athletes in the NIL space attending their school.

Livvy Dunne and Flau’jae Johnson have both excelled in their disciplines. An incredible gymnast and star on the hardwood, respectively, both have led their teams to championship victories during their tenures with LSU.

Both revealed that success on the mat or basketball court is what leads to being able to capitalize on their name, image and likeness.

“I think that you have to have your priorities straight to be successful,” Dunne said via Nick Schultz of On3. “I think that LSU is a worldwide-known brand, and I just think that it’s a match made in heaven with LSU and NIL.”

Dunne has been one of the most successful athletes in the NIL era. Her valuation of $4 million is topped only by Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders in all of college sports.

Her portfolio is extensive and very impressive.

Passes, Nautica, Leaf Trading Cards, Motorola and SI Swimsuit are among the many brands and companies she works with.

She is returning to LSU for a fifth year and to help the gymnastics team defend their national title.

Johnson is also back with the Tigers for her junior season. With Angel Reese now in the WNBA, her image is only going to grow as the face of a premier women’s basketball program.

“This is what I always tell people. They think like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re getting all these NIL deals. You’re getting all this money.’ But if I wasn’t doing somewhat good on the court, that wouldn’t be a thing,” Johnson said on SiriusXM College. “At the end of the day, they still want to sponsor me because I’m a good athlete and we win.

“It’s a match made in heaven with LSU & NIL.”
@Flaujae & @livvydunne spoke about NIL, @LSUsports, and “The Money Game” from @PrimeVideo on #SECThisMoring with @AlyssaLang & @ChrisDoering! pic.twitter.com/dKiFVz1xGF

— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) September 11, 2024

“So I think you have to win in order to get the best deals. We won the national championship, best deals of my life because we had so much exposure. I think you have to keep the main thing the main thing. You focus on that, and then everything else just seems to fall in line.”

That success on the court has led to plenty off it.

Johnson currently has an NIL valuation of $1.3 million, behind only UConn star Paige Beuckers in women’s basketball. She is No. 17 in the top 100.

JBL and Apple Cash are two of her biggest NIL deals are with. She also launched her rap career with her first album, Best of Both Worlds which came out in June.