Realistic, building from the current landscape 16x4:
SEC +VT +NCST
B1G +UVA +KU
PAC +TEX +TCU +BU +BYU
ACC (-VT -NCSU -UVA) +ND +WV +OU +OKST +KSU
Left out: Texas Tech & Iowa State
.
How'd I get here?
The B1G has certain academic requirements + AAU status. Syracuse would have gone to the B1G, but no AAU status.
I drew the line at "acceptable" academically at 100th in the US World News rankings, aka "The Nebraska Line" (99th).
https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/2g0uok/academic_ranks_of_power_5_schools_new_us_news_and/.
Why is this difficult?
There are a lack of quality P5 academic universities in the middle of the country. There just is. I doubt it's due to anything other than population growth, as the east is the most dense, CA and the west coast boomed, with flyover country (north of the sun belt) still being sparse. With people come universities.
.
Those PAC additions are dumb.
They're 'out there," to be sure. But the PAC also has an academic cutoff line, at least some of the members do, and they'll want to add some decent institutions. BYU plays the role of ND Jr and nixes another middle-US school from the in-crowd.
.
Kansas? KANSAS?
Yes. Decent school. AAU member. Extends the footprint. If for no other reason, no other school checks those boxes, aside from some southern schools. Think of it as a step up from Mizzou.
.
Anyway, there's a feasible grouping, built on the existing construction of the conferences.
Now, for divisions (and the 16x4 turning 8x8):
SEC: VT, NCST, USCe, UF, UGA, UK, UTK, VAN.......Bama, AU, OM, MSU, LSU, ARK, A&M, MIZ
.
B1G: KU, IOWA, UNL, MIN, WIS, NW, ILL, PU......UM, MSU, OSU, IU, PSU, RU, UMD, UVA
.
PAC: UW, WSU, UO, ORST, CAL, STAN, USC, UCLA.......AZ, ASU, UTAH, BYU, CU, TEX, BAY, TCU
.
ACC: CLEM............MIAMI, FSU, GT, UNC, Duke, WF, BC, SU, Pitt, ND, UL, OU, WV, OKST, KSU