FORT WORTH, Texas -- Texas Christian University is expected to accept an invitation next week to join the Mountain West Conference beginning in the 2005-06 school year, according to a published report.

TCU could receive a formal invitation as early as Monday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in its Friday editions, citing unnamed sources.

The school's athletic committee, which has studied a possible move for months, is expected to recommend to trustees at the board's meeting Jan. 30 that the school leave Conference USA, the newspaper said. The board can veto the move but is expected to approve it, the newspaper reported.

TCU athletic director Eric Hyman declined to comment.

The move would end months of speculation about TCU's athletic future and solidify a place for the Horned Frogs in a major conference.

TCU would join Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah and Wyoming in a nine-team league.

TCU has been on the move since the Southwest Conference dissolved in 1995. The Mountain West would be TCU's fourth conference in 10 years. TCU joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1996 and left for Conference USA after the 2000-01 season.

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said during a teleconference this month that he hoped to resolve the Mountain West's expansion plans by the end of January. He declined to comment Friday on whether an invitation would be extended to TCU.

The newspaper quoted New Mexico athletic director Rudy Davalos as saying that he hasn't heard a definitive answer on TCU but that "when these expansion conversations first started, the talk has always centered around TCU."