You'd have to think 4 super conferences are the end goal here. My questions would be:
Are we looking at four conferences of 16? 20? If we end up at 20, I think you end up with a division format like you mentioned above. It's the only way to make scheduling make sense really.
What happens to the rest of the schools that don't make the cut? Do they quit playing football? Are some of the smaller schools that support football funded by the current NCAA model? It costs a ton of money to operate football. I'm not sure if small schools turn a profit without profit sharing. Is that the case?
Could the SEC look to cut Vandy at some point?
Where do our other 4 teams come from? Somebody mentioned in another post it cost a ton to pull a team from the ACC, and I really think they'll be one of the power conferences.
Just for fun: I'll do a hypothetical 4 super conferences with divisions. Assuming we will not pull from the ACC, I included Memphis, UCF, West Virginia, and OK ST as the teams coming to the SEC. I think they'll all want to jump in and play with the big boys.
SEC
West
Texas
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
OK ST
Missouri
Midwest
Arkansas
LSU
Ole Miss
Miss St.
Memphis
Southern
Alabama
Auburn
Georgia
Florida
UCF
Northern
Kentucky
West Virginia
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
South Carolina
Full disclosure, I know the SEC won't make that Southern conference happen, but hey this is my world so I made it favorable for UT.
most athletic departments lose money.. I would have to research but feel confident Vanderbilt loses money every year. The non P5 conference schools mostly lose money. Revenue sharing happens at the conference level because conferences establish the TV contracts, not the NCAA.
Don't see Vanderbilt getting run out of SEC.
My thoughts years ago was 4 divisions with 5 schools each to make up 20 team conferences. My thoughts then were Big 10 (14 schools), ACC (14 schools), PAC 10 (12 schools) and SEC (14 schools) would be the 4 conferences.
When you look at the Big 12 (10 schools) and the AAC conference (10 schools) there are 20 that could be added to round out the big 4. You add schools like Boise St, BYU, Notre Dame, Fresno St, San Diego St.. etc.. you can get to 20...
But, you don't have to do 20. 16 could work at 4 divisions.
My thoughts have also been, you eliminate the OOC games. Playing an SEC schedule is all you want and would not want big time schools (Clemson, Ohio St, etc) on your schedule. With a 16 team playoff, you might go back to 10 conference games like the SEC did last year. Could still do 12 but might not.
If Texas and Oklahoma end up here in the next few weeks, then look for the Big 12 schools to quickly be grabbed by Pac 12 and Big 10. West Virginia might go ACC along with Notre Dame.
Just some rambling thoughts.