With the exceptions of ND, USC-W, and kinda Baylor, I can't think of private schools with enough mass, money, and brand appeal to be sustained national football powers.

One solution is to deemphasize or eliminate football and form or join a basketball-driven conference. Those conferences and teams can still have big-time hoops (e.g., Villanova, Gonzaga) and they find a way to fund non-revs, albeit with leaner budgeting.

Is isn't just a private-school thing. Some publics are smaller and not hardcore for football, like U.Va. (full disclosure - I'm a Hoo).

Football will decline due to concern over brain and bodily injuries, just like attitudes regarding smoking changed from the 60s to now.

Yes, you're passing on a lot of athletic revenue by stepping away from big-time football. But most of that big revenue just gets plowed back into football. Some of it might spill over into better-funded non-revs, but how many alumni really follow or care whether the volleyball team does well?

Some schools presently in the big conferences (SEC, BIG) will be eventually pushed out. When paying players starts in about five years, having to get that money in the budget will create immense pressure for getting additional revenue. The easiest way to raise average school payout is to cut the less attractive schools. Schools such as Duke, Wake, and BC get shoved out.

If you're likely to get cut, perhaps it's better to control your fate and to have time to transition by being proactive, rather than waiting until you are forced to choose quickly from suboptimal choices. Form your "New Big East" now so you don't suddenly end up in the "New Sunbelt."