I agree that 6 is the right number leaving room for 2 at larges. There will always be edge cases, exceptions and cry babies, but 6 best conf champs and 2 best teams outside that should ensure the 3 or 4 best teams in the country are included in the 8 which really should be the goal. What they do from there is up to them.

If we do end up with only 9 conferences after all this realignment, I'd actually be fine with 12 teams (all 9 conf champs and 3 at large) and a 4 team bye as long as all 4 byes go to the top conf champs. I would also play the 5-12 round on home campuses the week after conf championships and the quarterfinals the week after that...then have a 2-3 week break before the semi finals. A long break before the early rounds negates the advantage of a bye, and might even make the bye a negative.

Also, since I'm spitballing, 5-12 seeds should be a random draw, potentially creating David vs Goliath matchups, possibly even on David's home turf in Dec. Entertainment, not just fairness, is a huge part of this after all!