The absence of the country's most popular club – Kaizer Chiefs – from the MTN8 this year will come with the unfortunate effect of trimming down the numbers on the interest scale.
In the year in which MTN8 have upped the winners' purse to R10 million (from R8 million) with the participation fee now on R1 million (up from R800 000), Chiefs will not be involved.
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Amakhosi crumbled like a house of cards last season with a horrendous run of two wins in the last 15 league matches, leaving them down in 10th position.
That then meant that while they are historically the most successful team in the MTN8, they will have to watch from a distance this season.
It is rare that Chiefs or any of the Big Three, which also includes Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, get to finish outside the Top Eight.
Last season was only the fourth occasion that the Glamour Boys have finished outside the Top Eight since domestic football fell under the National Soccer League in 1985.
The first was 2001/02 (9th), then 2006/07 (9th), 2018/19 (9th), and the disaster of last season's 10th place finish.
Strangely, Pirates have never been winners when Chiefs have not been involved.
The Naturena-based outfit still carries the numbers that bring commercial viability as was confirmed by Ricky Joseph, the Kappa boss, who noted that their merchandise sales from their first season as the side's technical sponsors were double what the Buccaneers sold despite their struggles.
This is what any sponsor desires and MTN8 will feel the pinch of running the tournament minus the pulling power of Chiefs.
Minus the men in Gold and Black, then it means the torchbearers become Pirates and Sundowns.
Ezimnyama Ngenkani have a third consecutive title in sight and have also not been involved on four occasions.
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Bucs were mess in the first three years of the NSL, finishing 15th in 1985, 13th in '86, and 11th in '87, before they sunk to 11th again in the 2016/17 season.
Sundowns have been present for 11 years in a row now but have been outside the Top Eight on five occasions: 1985 (11th), 2002/03 (10th), 2003/04 (10th), 2008/09 (9th) and 2012/13 (9th).