Been looking through the actual news around the commissioner meetings. and leading proposals seem to be:
16: 5 + 11 - The most likely next format that no one likes but everyone will agree to not sue over.
16: 4-4-2-2 + 4 - P2 get 4 autos, M2 get 2 autos, 4 at-large - The SEC/B1G proposal, but B12 and ACC aren't ready to grant disproportional autos.
16: 4-4-4-4 - P4 get 4 autos. - The follow up from 4-4-2-2, the B12 is reluctant to cut out the G5 in the fear that it is next on the chopping block.
24: 4-4-4-4 + 8 - ACC wants a giant playoff
---
Expansion seems like ass at this point, but it's where decision-makers are heading. The B12 and ACC are probably right to not accept reality as the middle tier. I kind of don't like it either as the quality of conferences and teams changes over time, but the 4-4-2-2 format actually make the most sense at this singular moment in time. 16x 4-4-4-4 will put a lot of teams in that don't deserve to be while also blocking teams that do deserve to be. 24 just seems dumb.