earned. WSU and OSU can, I guess, make a claim that they contributed to that pot. But they're only in that position by historical accident (Vanderbilt, you are so lucky right now). Obviously none of the MWC schools contributed to that pot but they all seem to feel really entitled to it. So it's goofy that the MWC schools can extort money out of OSU/WSU for them taking schools who would rather be with them than the MWC. But it's also goofy that OSU/WSU have that money to begin with.
It all smells of a bunch of extended family fighting over an inheritance.