I understand your points. All easy to comprehend in today’s environment. But everything changes so quickly. 5 years ago to comprehend NIL, transfer portal, magnitude of conference realignment, CFP expansion … the landscape has changed quickly and the next five years may have as much change as well.
All this has happened in an era of expanding TV. What happens if revenues decline? What happens when universities are faced with mounting debt, what happens if schools are forced to cut sports. It’s easier to run a business when the top line is growing. It’s harder when revenues are flat or declining.
If football is truly the cash cow … when is someone going to ask … what does Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Rutgers contribute? When are the Alabamas and tOSU’s going to say I’m better off without these schools than with them?