My big problem with all of this is I don't see the point of having a 12 team conference. It makes perfect sense at the FBS level because the money from the championship game and the lack of a real playoff. Heck, 70 of 120 teams go to a bowl, so it almost doesn't matter how big your conference is if you are aiming to get that extra game. At the D3 level, having a 12 team conference is just... strange to put it nicely, stupid if you really think about it.
With 7 teams you get 1 bid to the playoffs. With 12 teams, you get 1 bid to the playoffs. The championship game provides you with... 0 dollars if you are lucky, a deficit if you are not. With a championship game one of your two undefeated or 1 loss teams have their chance to play themselves OUT of the playoffs.
I know if you are from a stronger conference you think having the weaker conferences for 12 or 14 team conferences would be great because it frees up Pool C bids, but honestly, I can think of nothing.... stranger... from a conference's point of view than to do so.
I get going from 7 teams to 8, or even 8 to 10 for scheduling purposes and cutting down on the need to find OOC opponents, but going to 12 or 14 is just incredibly detrimental from any rational point of view. The sole exception is if you have two 6 team conferences who can't find a 7th team. That is the only real justification I can find.
To be honest, I have no idea why the PAC just did what they did with the UAA teams. Seems like a ridiculous scheduling nightmare with no real upside. Unless, of course, they are hoping to jettison TMC...