There's a great deal of insight in this thread.
Despite being an inveterate optimist, I've struggled the past year or so with a growing sense of unease about where all of this is heading; and, a couple of times, I've started to sit down and try to put together a post expressing my growing concern. However, I simply didn't feel that I was far enough along in considering the disparate elements to do so.
I'm still a little ways off from that; but, some of the observations here are so close to all of this for me that I had to write something.
When you roll together (1) the growing revenue dilemma for college athletics from a dwindling number of cable subscribers, (2) earlier and earlier offers and commitments in baseball, (3) 4-year guaranteed scholarships, and (4) increasing pressure for wins from AD's, it makes you wonder how DI college baseball is going to be able to continue as the thriving sport we've known for awhile now.
I won't pretend to have a crystal ball that's any clearer than the next person's, but it's increasingly difficult to predict continued health for the sport unless some fairly significant changes are made. Without them, the dynamics alluded to above seem to be on a collision course with one another. Let's hope that the wreck can be avoided.