A feeling I'm getting is that Rangers fans, despite most saying that 3rd would be best morally, aren't quite getting the big picture here. Most are thinking they can work their way up the leagues and then carry on as they were like not much will have changed. What will have changed is that the entire prize-money split will be more distributed and that the ridiculous chunk they were getting will be vastly reduced even if they do happen to finish second or as champions (very unlikely anyway).
In the time it takes them to get back, Motherwell / Hearts / Dundee Utd will probably have had a far better budget, hence Rangers would be returning to what may be an improved league with a much poorer side than when they left in order to win less money than before. Some will say that they won't without the TV money but if Rangers return with the return of better TV deal, the other teams will get a chunk of that too... a far better chunk than Rangers if they finish above them. Oh how the tides can change.
or... will the diddy's refuse them entry and then Motherwell or Dundee Utd vote against new prize-money cuts on the sly alongside Celtic as they both seize the opportunity to grab a massive cut from second and pull away from the other 10