Is TCU headed to the Mountains?

The school, which currently has an undefeated football team ranked 12th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, would consider an invitation from the Mountain West Conference if it's extended to the school, The Dallas Morning News has reported.

TCU's currently a member of Conference USA, but that conference is expecting a major shakeup and could lose five schools to the Big East.

An unidentified TCU official told the Morning News that travel costs for the school, as a member of the Mountain West, have been projected at $200,000 a year more than if the Horned Frogs stayed with Conference USA. The source also told the paper the school's athletic committee is expected to meet Thursday and make a recommendation to trustees the following day. At this point, the Mountain West has not offered TCU an official invitation.

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment,'' TCU athletic director Eric Hyman told the Morning News about the possibility of joining the Mountain West. "I've talked to a lot of people about a lot of things. "My responsibility is to get a sense of what the lay of the land is," he added. "I've been doing that since the dominos began to fall.

"Obviously with Conference USA, there have been a lot of compelling reasons to stay. Conference USA has surpassed TCU's expectations. But it's not the same [after membership changes]. There's no question."