for conference scheduling and potentially conference expansion. Since the SEC is a 14 member conference, then their conference schedule could look like this:

6 division games
1 protected cross-division game (in 'Bama's case that would be Tenn)
3 rotating cross-division games (remaining 6 members in the other division are evenly divided up between 2 groups of 3 that rotate every 2 years)

Since teams are playing every team in the other division more frequently, then there may be less of a desire for conferences to expand to 16 or 20 teams so it can implement either the rotating division model or allow conferences to increase the number of divisions (assuming the bylaws are changed). Plus, it is another step towards making it easier for the power conferences to either form their own division level under the NCAA umbrella, form their own DI subdivision under the NCAA umbrella, or form their own association.

Each year that passes where the power conferences play only each other means the federal/state politicians have less of a leg to stand on to block the power conferences from doing 1 of the 3 options listed above because at that point the gap between the 2 groups has widen beyond the influence of political pressure. If the politicians want to prevent 1 of those options from coming to fruition, then their window of opportunity will be when the power conferences announce their change in scheduling policy. Even then it may be too late because the power conference will probably announce the change 1 conference at a time to make it more difficult for the politicians to object. If Richmond doesn't object to when the Big Ten, Big XII, Pac 12, or SEC announce their change, then it will have pressure not to say something when the ACC announces its change.