The counter argument to the no AQ stance is always this: If you're not good enough to be recognized as the champion of your conference; why should you be good enough to be recognized as the national champion? (Schools care about conference championships if & when the national championships are fewer/far between (or non-existent))
A merit (or as close as you'll get with the selection committee)-based approach has enough room for both AQ teams and at large selections. If the goal is to address concerns with the "lack of geographic diversity" there will certainly be AQs for each P5. If they are going to 12 (which increases the inventory greatly and brings in more dollars at a time where they are approaching a need to pay the players) then they'll through the G5 a bone with a single AQ for their highest ranked champion. That leaves 6 more spots to primarily go to other P5 schools.
If they go to 12, a move to 16 won't be that much further away (more inventory and no extra weeks); but that move won't come with greater G5 access (except as a potential at large selection), as you're not going add 4 more playoff spots and immediately grant all 4 as G5 AQ... it won't be until there is a move to 20 or 24 (which is when the FCS made the move) that you'd see AQs for all FBS conferences.
A merit (or as close as you'll get with the selection committee)-based approach has enough room for both AQ teams and at large selections. If the goal is to address concerns with the "lack of geographic diversity" there will certainly be AQs for each P5. If they are going to 12 (which increases the inventory greatly and brings in more dollars at a time where they are approaching a need to pay the players) then they'll through the G5 a bone with a single AQ for their highest ranked champion. That leaves 6 more spots to primarily go to other P5 schools.
If they go to 12, a move to 16 won't be that much further away (more inventory and no extra weeks); but that move won't come with greater G5 access (except as a potential at large selection), as you're not going add 4 more playoff spots and immediately grant all 4 as G5 AQ... it won't be until there is a move to 20 or 24 (which is when the FCS made the move) that you'd see AQs for all FBS conferences.
