From a non-big-donor perspective I’m in the “rip the bandaid off” camp for one very simple reasons: the current “big money” people, if what’s reported is true, are used to getting their way but are not actually able to spend enough to make GT competitive on their own. The AD has been sinking while using this model for 20 years, relative to the competition.
Risking the entire program failing is already happening, it’s been happening, and it’s been happening on the watch of the people who have been involved longer than Batt or Cabrera. “I’ll take away my money” doesn’t have the same scare for me when your money isn’t enough anyway. We either need to engage others or we just die. So if you don’t want death, get on board with trying something new.
If this is all a “throw a fit to sabotage others and get Key in place” thing, I don’t know you can even do a quid pro quo there - have you negotiated, or have you just shown that you will be under their control in the future too?