obvious lie that realignment and conference membership was about institutional values, alignment, etc.

Then everyone just accepted that it's literally how and where you can get the most money.

American culture is funny that way. We have to go around saying "do what's best for our student athletes,' just to keep up the facade that the schools would leave money on the table *if* it were best for their students. No they wouldn't. They'd take the money, and the next round of students would just deal with the new reality.