Man, that article hits different from a West Alabama perspective, I get it. The gap is absolutely widening, but calling the SEC vs Big Ten debate dead is a massive overreaction. That rivalry is the engine driving the entire realignment and revenue chase. Those two leagues are in a cold war for media dominance, and every other decision filters down from that. You're right that the Power Four are consolidating power, but the "everyone else" group you mention incldues leagues like yours and my Mountain East that are fighting like hell. We're NOT just waiting to get buried. The portal and NIL, for all their flaws, have created new avenues. A kid might take a G5 or D2 offer if he sees a clearer path to playing time and a decent NIL collective package. The recruiting battles are shifting, not disappearing. We have to be smarter with our evaluations, find those diamonds in the rough before the big boys come circling, and yes, hope our bagman game is strong. It's an uphill fight every single day, but programs that adapt in this new era will still find ways to compete. The death of the lower divisions is being greatly exaggerated.