A landmark report examining the financial sustainability of English football will be published on Tuesday.
The long-awaited 'State of the Game' report by the new Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is expected to take a forensic look at the financial health of the professional game.
IFR chair David Kogan has previously painted a bleak picture of the precarious position clubs are in, telling the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in February: "The current system bakes in risk. Multiple clubs throughout the pyramid have told us they would not be able to survive a month if their owner stopped funding.
"Relegation, for many, is a near death sentence. Clubs facing relegation can see their revenues cut by up to 80% if they fail to bounce back quickly, and the early analysis we've done suggests this is just as much of a problem between League Two and the National League as it is between the Premier League and the Championship.
"The whole pyramid is facing a series of cliff edges. They have not been addressed, and without better financial mitigation they are entirely unsustainable."
Kogan remarked in that same address that the "clock was ticking" on the Premier League and the EFL reaching a new settlement on the distribution of top-flight television revenue.
Talks did finally begin over the summer with Premier League clubs agreeing to increase funding by around £180 million ($238m) a year compared to current levels as part of a 10-year deal.
The EFL is understood to have pushed back on the offer, both in terms of the length of the deal and the amount per season, while there is believed to be concern among Championship clubs around the cost control measures the deal mandates, which they are feel are too restrictive.
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The IFR has 'backstop' powers to impose a settlement on the leagues if they cannot agree one themselves, meaning the findings in Tuesday's report on the fairness of existing arrangements -- including the impact of parachute payments to relegated Premier League clubs -- could be significant in the long run.
Kogan is sure to also face questions on the dominant sports story of the moment -- Manchester City being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.
Kogan said the IFR was awaiting further developments, with City having appealed against the verdict of an independent commission, but said the case "raised serious issues" and set out the IFR's powers to assess the suitability of club owners and directors "where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals."
The IFR can, in the most serious cases, force directors and managers off boards and compel owners to divest from clubs.