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Sooner or later, the Big Ten will probably have to add a 12th team and contest a conference championship game. But thanks to the new Big Ten Network, will that be sooner?

Speculation in USA TODAY centers around Rutgers and Syracuse since any expansion would be with an eye towards increasing the Big Ten’s footprint — a new member in New York or New Jersey would certainly accomplish that. But there are a couple of other possibilities not mentioned:

Pittsburgh — The pros of adding Pittsburgh are obvious. A large media market, the university fits into the profile of existing Big Ten universities (as do Syracuse and Rutgers), a natural rival in Penn State, generally competitive in football and very solid in basketball. The major strike against Pitt would be the fact that the Pittsburgh media market is somewhat already in the Big Ten’s sphere of influence.

Missouri — It might be surprising for a Big 12 team to jump to the Big 10, but Missouri has never been a great fit in the Big 12. The Tigers would be leaving a rival in Kansas, but Missouri-Illinois could also develop into a bigger rivalry than it currently is. Missouri, as a academic institution, is arguably more in line with existing Big Ten universities than any of the other possibilities. Missouri’s major two sports teams have been rather pedestrian, but certainly are no worse than the other candidates on the whole. Plus, it would give a foothold in the St. Louis and Kansas City media markets.

So when it is all said and done, if the Big Ten thinks about expansion, don’t be surprised if it makes a run at Missouri.