This succinctly sums up my point in a nutshell.
https://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=29157648&tab=top10
"The NFL is a better on-field product than CFB, and its not particularly close. So the casual football fan without any ties to a university tends to watch the NFL. As you remove more & more schools from the highest level of CFB the fans who follow those programs interest in their team wanes. And when fans stop caring about their own programs they aren't going to watch your programs either, which impacts your viewership significantly. So without a robust and relevant FBS, the B1G & SEC will no longer attract the viewership to warrant these huge TV deals. Andy's point about CFP access is a good one, because even as the B1G/SEC separate themselves financially, so long as there is a clear path to a national championship the other schools & fans will remain engaged despite being at a disadvantage".