It’s smart and this is why the Big 12 has continued to survive under Yormark who continues to think outside the box.
It’s nothing like the “old Big 12” which itself wasn’t even an old or classic conference so while I’m sure we will get a few “old men yelling at clouds” about how collegiate athletics, in particular, football and basketball are changing - at this point you better evolve or you’re gonna get left in the dustbin.
My alma mater is in this “conference of 16 schools” and I don’t really care if they call it the “CarMax Conference” or the “Lumber Liquidators 12” as long as my school is still accessing the highest levels of competition and trophies in the revenue sports and playing on as even of a financial field as possible - given the monsters that the B1G and SEC have become.