FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU is moving to the Big East Conference, where the Horned Frogs would be BCS busters no more.

A person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday that TCU is moving from the Mountain West Conference to the Big East starting with the 2012 season. The person would not comment publicly because the decision had not been announced.

TCU scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference for "a major announcement involving the TCU athletics program.

The move to the Big East will provide TCU automatic access to the Bowl Championship Series and its five big-money games. That league, currently with eight football teams, has one of six automatic BCS slots.

The third-ranked Horned Frogs (12-0) wrapped up their second consecutive undefeated regular season and Mountain West title with a 66-17 victory at New Mexico on Saturday.

TCU is third in the BCS standings, the highest for a non-automatic qualifying team, and in line for a chance to play for the national championship if Auburn or Oregon lose next weekend. The Frogs likely will play in the Rose Bowl if Auburn and Oregon both win — players were holding roses on the field after their win Saturday.

The only current Big East team ranked in the AP poll is No. 23 West Virginia (8-3, 4-2 Big East), which is 24th in the BCS standings. Connecticut (7-4, 4-2) could get the league's automatic BCS spot.

But TCU might not have been headed to a BCS game without Boise State's loss Friday night in overtime at Nevada. Had the Broncos remained undefeated, there was a real possibility that the Broncos could have passed the Frogs in the BCS standings and been the only non-AQ team to get into one of the top-level bowls.

TCU was a BCS buster for the first time last season, then lost to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Frogs have won 25 consecutive regular-season games, and 38 of 41 overall. The only losses in that span were in the Fiesta Bowl, and games at Oklahoma and Utah.

With all TCU sports moving to the Big East, it will create a 17-team basketball league.

The pending departure of TCU continues a big shuffle for the Mountain West, which next season is losing Utah to the expanded Pac-12 and BYU, which is going independent in football. Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada are moving from the WAC to the Mountain West.

TCU athletic director Chris De Conte didn't immediately return messages left on his cell phone.

The school's release said Del Conte would be present at Monday's news conference along with school chancellor Victor Boschini.

The Big East will be the fourth conference for TCU since the Southwest Conference broke apart after the 1995 season and the Frogs weren't among the Texas schools that became part of the Big 12.

TCU was in the WAC from 1996-2000 before going to Conference USA for four seasons and then joining the Mountain West in 2005.

When Nebraska announced it was leaving the Big 12 for the Big 10 and Colorado declared its move to the Pac-10, the Big 12 opted against adding TCU or anybody else and plans to move forward as a 10-team league for now.