[NU Sports] Big Ten Expansion this week?

[Arthur Miller]

I'm sorry, I just don't understand what offering membership to Nebraska does for the Big Ten.  Sure, they have a great football tradition, but that's it--no new major metro area, and no bump in academic status.  Plus, by only bringing us to 12 members, it certainly wouldn't close the door on Notre Dame joining in the future--not in the way that getting to 16 teams would.  Am I missing something?
 
Now, if Nebraska came over as part of a Great Plains "package deal" that included Missouri and Kansas...well, that would be a very different situation.
 
It's funny how Pittsburgh seems to have dropped off the radar screen completely as of late.  Any ideas out there as to why?