Are the Syracuse; Columbia, MO; or New Brunswick, NJ markets that big, compared to Pittsburgh? I disagree that Penn State has the Pitt market covered; they're three hours away from one another, and the surrounding communities are very different from one another.
TV markets, not actual location. Syracuse basketball has enough clout that it could probably get the Big Ten Network on cable in New York City. Missouri can get the Big Ten Network on Kansas City and the rest of St. Louis. That is the key. Penn State already provides the Pittsburgh tv market and the Big Ten Network is already on cable tv in Pittsburgh.
I read an article which hypothesized that Texas would leave the Big 12 and go to the Big Ten if asked. Apparently the only two games Texas cares about in conference are Oklahoma and Texas A&M so it could play those as non-con games. There is also a thought that if Missouri were to leave for the Big Ten, that Colorado would bolt for the Pac Ten and the Big 12 would collapse anyway. If that is the case, why wouldn't Texas leave for the Big Ten. It is obvious why the Big Ten would want Texas as it has the pull to get the Big Ten Network on Dallas, Houston, and Austin television which would provide a ton of extra dollars to the Big Ten. And before anyone says this is crazy (aside from the possible conference implosion), the Big Ten's revenue from television was 242 million (evenly split at 22 million a team) while the Big 12's tv revenue was about 80 million (though it isn't an even split and Texas took in about 10-11 million of the total). So just joining without additional markets gets Texas twice the tv revenue. However, joining would not only get more revenue from tv in dallas, houston, austin, etc., it would also allow the Big Ten to have a football championship game which would be even more money.
I would have thought it was crazy before reading the article, but the article has me convinced that Texas should join the Big Ten.