FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU is set to join the Mountain West Conference, pending approval by the school's board of trustees in its meeting Friday.

Mountain West officials confirmed Thursday that an invitation has been extended to Texas Christian to become the conference's ninth member. If the move is approved as expected, the affiliation would begin during the 2005-06 academic year.

A news conference was set for Friday afternoon on the TCU campus for the school "to address its future conference affiliation," according to a release. Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson is scheduled to attend.

Mountain West officials said Thompson would not be available for comment until the news conference.

TCU athletic director Eric Hyman said the proposed move was a "a board decision."

"The due diligence has taken place," Hyman said Thursday. "Everything has been laid out to them and they will make a decision on what they want to do, and what's in the best interest of the university."

The Mountain West would be TCU's fourth conference in 10 years. After the Southwest Conference dissolved in 1995, TCU joined the Western Athletic Conference for five years and then left for Conference USA just 2½ years ago.

If TCU joins, the MWC would become a nine-team conference. The Horned Frogs would be rejoining former WAC members Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming in the MWC.

In November, Conference USA lost five members and gained five others. Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida bolted to the Big East, then C-USA added Central Florida, Marshall, Rice, SMU and Tulsa.

"Conference USA has been fantastic marriage for us," Hyman said. "One of the reasons TCU has exponentially improved itself competitively has been our association with the institutions now in it. It goes back to all the reshuffling of the cards. The landscape changes."

ESPN.com's Andy Katz reports that if TCU leaves, Conference USA would look to fill TCU's position in its 12-team conference. Commissioner Britton Banowsky said he could add a team to replace TCU in the spring and still make the 2005-06 season. The candidates are likely to be Louisiana Tech or UTEP (WAC), North Texas (Sun Belt), Temple (A-10), Miami of Ohio (MAC) and Toledo (MAC).

Banowsky said the new members -- Tulsa, Rice, SMU, Central Florida and Marshall -- would have equal say with the remaining members -- UAB, Southern Miss, Tulane, Houston, East Carolina and Memphis -- on any new addition. The WAC is waiting to see what C-USA does. If it takes Louisiana Tech, then the WAC would look to Idaho or North Texas.

TCU will have to pay an entrance fee to the Mountain West, plus an exit fee to C-USA of at least $400,000. Under current bylaws, C-USA can demand a higher amount equal to any expected decrease in TV or other revenue caused by the school's departure.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.