Do you remember a while back, there was that whole debate on whether College Athletes should be paid?

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One side of the debate was that a lot of the College Athletes were getting full rides to school, which in some cases saved them a lot of money and that was their compensation.

The other side of the argument was that the amount of money those athletes make for their school in ticket sales, parking sales, and food/drink sales is far greater than the cost of tuition.

Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash
Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash
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The compromise came down to athletes being able to get compensation for the commercial use of their name, at least with the NCAA.

What about making money off of social media?

My personal thought is if you can, then do it.

If throwing up pictures of you in a game, or wearing a certain brand of shoes allows you to amass a small fortune then why not go for it?

That's exactly what one New Jersey native is doing during her time as a College Athlete and frankly, I'm impressed!

How familiar are you with the world of Women's College Gymnastics?

Photo by Eugene Lim on Unsplash
Photo by Eugene Lim on Unsplash
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One of the big names right now in that sport is Westwood New Jersey Native Olivia Dunne.

She's a gymnast at LSU, and right now she's making some serious waves not only in the realm of gymnastics but also in the world of social media.

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So much so, that she's getting some heat from long-time Stanford Woman's Basketball Coach Tara Vanderveer.

According to Barstool Sports, Dunne has been able to amass roughly eight million followers on social media, which is impressive in and of itself.

On top of that huge following, Dunne is also making about 2 million dollars from her posts!

Now, when I was in college, I got excited when I found an extra ten spot in my jean pocket on laundry day.

To be 20 years old, a star athlete, and a millionaire? I applaud you.

That being said, Barstool Sports reports that Stanford's Tara Vanderveer says what Dunne is doing is a step back for female athletes.

'I guess sometimes we have this swinging pendulum, where we maybe take two steps forward, and then we take a step back,' she said. 'We're fighting for all the opportunities to compete, to play, to have resources, to have facilities, to have coaches, and all the things that go with Olympic-caliber athletics.'  (Daily Mail)

 

'This is a step back,' she added. 

Frankly, I don't understand where the bitter feelings are coming from.

Maybe because this college athlete figured out a way to make the same amount of money as a Stanford coach?

Dunne is living her best life, making the best of her time in college, and making a killer earning while doing it.

Good for her, keep up the good work making New Jersey proud!

Professional Athletes That Were Born In New Jersey

New Jersey is a state the raises a bunch of great athletes in every sport. Some noticeable athletes that you probably already know that are from the Garden State are NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, MLB Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, NFL Hall of Famer Bill Parcels, USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard, amongst many more. 

Here is a list of New Jersey natives that are currently playing a professional sport. 

The 25 Most Dangerous Cities in New Jersey

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