If the power conferences do decide to break away from the NCAA, then the rest of the NCAA members will still hold all the cards. It is a numbers game; 65-70 P5 schools vs. 1,000+ DI, DII, and DIII members that will remain in the NCAA. If you look at all the sports currently sponsored at the DI level, then you will see the P5 participating teams are in the minority for majority or all of them. If they are lucky, then they may be around 50% of the participating teams.

Basically the P5s need the rest of the DI members more than the DI members need the P5s. Yes, I know the P5s are the breadwinners in the group. However, if the P5s left and the money went with them, then I guarantee you that the rest of the DI members would adjust and continue on as if nothing happened. After all the DII schools and DIII schools are doing just fine existing outside of the spotlight. The same will be true for the DI schools not included in the P5 group.

The reason I said it might be sport specific is because the P5 schools have invested money and time in non-revenue sports. Do you honestly think the Big Ten, BC, Notre Dame, and Arizona State will want to give up sponsoring M/W ice hockey if the group breaks away? Do you honestly believe the rest of the ACC, Big XII, rest of the Pac-12, and SEC will want to sponsor the sport so the group has enough participating teams? The same question applies to the Pac-12 schools that sponsor M/W water polo, the ACC/Big Ten teams that sponsor M/W lacrosse, the P5 schools that sponsor women's field hockey or women's rowing, and the P5 schools that sponsor wrestling. Plus, there are several non-revenue sports where DII and DIII compete at the DI level which raises another set of questions for the P5 group, the rest of DI group, and DII/DIII group.