I think it would be very difficult for even a well established organization to achieve the momentum needed on many campuses that would be required to "compete" in the NPC game. Recruitment methods, quotas, total, houses being required to survive on many campuses and rules rules rules!
I can see where many would look at NPC membership as a set of golden handcuffs even in the best of circumstances.
I think it's much more likely that some NPC groups will eventually be absorbed by other NPC groups. It's got to be increasingly challenging in this economic climate for some groups to survive as individual entities in the long run.