[Goose]

I think the likelier outcome is all the stakeholders get together and revise the payouts.

Absolutely. It makes no sense for the conferences to bankrupt the only organizations that want to buy the "product". However, that process of revising the payouts downward will generate pressure to shed less desirable (from a TV point of view) conference members. The big dogs will still want to be fed, and since it is all about the money forgoing some easy wins is very much preferable to getting less money. This is the point where IMO things will get ugly enough that sanity may actually return to college athletics, at least to many of the schools involved. The big money drying up will compel that outcome. I just hope it happens soon enough there is anything left to save.

[Goose]

I think the likelier outcome is all the stakeholders get together and revise the payouts.

Absolutely. It makes no sense for the conferences to bankrupt the only organizations that want to buy the "product". However, that process of revising the payouts downward will generate pressure to shed less desirable (from a TV point of view) conference members. The big dogs will still want to be fed, and since it is all about the money forgoing some easy wins is very much preferable to getting less money. This is the point where IMO things will get ugly enough that sanity may actually return to college athletics, at least to many of the schools involved. The big money drying up will compel that outcome. I just hope it happens soon enough there is anything left to save.