It’s about staying competitive. The power 5 has turned into the power 2 (sec and big 10). Top recruits do not want to play in mid major conferences.
3 star recruits that pan out in these mid major conferences will jump ship, such as Hartman, devin Leary and Jeff sims. Riley Leonard at Duke is purely auditioning for his next team.
So yes the money is important for NIL but perception is what’s killing the ACC.