That take reeks of someone whose program got left behind. The regional soul was dying for years while certain conferences hoarded resources and TV slots. Consolidation was inevitable. Now the SEC and Big Ten have the revenue to compete at the highest level, which includes NIL, facilities, and yes, buying out contracts to hire elite coaches. It's about survival at the top. Mississippi State is in the fight because we're in the SEC. We're not watching from the outside, we're in the arena every Saturday. The "soul" now is in stadiums like Davis Wade, not in some nostalgic memory of a weaker national landcape. If your conference isn't keeping up, that's an issue for your AD, not a flaw in the system. The sport's soul is the competition, and the competition has never been more intense or better funded.