There is also more to choosing a school beyond the economics of things.

Right now, you get schollies and COA. The value of schollies varies dramatically between schools. Yet that doesn't propel those expensive schools football programs above the cheaper schools. If it did, Wake Forest would dominate, because that school is expensive as all hell to attend. The pure economic value of a scholly to WF dwarfs that of many other football powers.

Alabama could step up and say ... "You know what, we COULD pay you a crap ton. But we're not paying you squat beyond what we do right now." And I bet they'd still out recruit everyone else. They have the leverage of being a great football program that pumps out NFLers at a rate higher than most. Why pay their players anything??