The realm of gymnastics is being plagued by the demon named underpayment. Ahead of the Olympics, controversies have been going wild about how the athletes need to earn a substantial amount of money. As a matter of fact, the gymnasts qualifying for the Olympics do not earn a salary, while the medal holders receive a token amount from the IOC. But amidst the chaos, the name of Cecile Landi is rising like a phoenix from the ashes. 

Landi’s new deal with Georgia has indicated a possible shake-up to the underpayment issue. While it is true that Landi is earning a handsome amount, a quick comparison with the highest-paid female NCAA basketball coach will push the dynamics back to square one. 

Cecile Landi pushes Georgia’s budget to increase threefold 

Cecile Landi is one of the most popular names in the US gymnastics world. Landi is famous for coaching Madison Kocian and none other than the US gymnastics queen herself, Simone Biles. The duo worked together hand in hand to help Biles attain success and also the 2018 & 2019 world titles back to back. Looking at her immense success, Georgia Gymnastics deemed fit to sign Cecile Landi as their head coach. 

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According to the reports, Landi has reportedly been given a contract of $340,000 annually. Georgia’s co-head coach, Ryan Roberts, secured a $265,000 deal. Such numbers have clearly indicated a positive change in the monetary dynamics of the game. For example, Georgia’s previously allocated budget for their head coaches amounted to a mere $207,000 per year. But this year, the numbers have tripled, standing at a whopping $605,000. 

Apart from these, the younger gymnasts are also getting more traction from the sponsors. An upward spike of NIL deals has also made things quite interesting. Unfortunately, Cecile Landi’s salary might be a huge boost, but it still is significantly less compared to the highest-paid NCAA women’s coach. 

Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley earn big as Caitlin Clark bags NIL jackpot

Kim Mulkey earns the highest bucks when it comes to the NCAA women. Earning a staggering $3.264 million per year, the LSU Tigers’ coach is one of the most respected figures in the discipline. Likewise, South Carolina Gamecocks’ coach, Dawn Staley has been earning $2.9m annually since 2021 and has secured a whopping 7 year contract. With such names putting in their relentless efforts, women’s basketball witnessed unprecedented growth this year. Boasting an average viewership of 18.7 million, the numbers peaked during the final at 24 million. 

Carrying forward the good graces, the NCAA women’s basketball saw the emergence of a star in Caitlin Clark. Clark was impressive throughout the season and has also landed herself a thumping deal with Nike, amounting to $28 million. Thus, as the NCAA’s financial ecosystem witness a surge, it is only a matter of time before gymnastics will also rake up impressive numbers to support their athletes.