Texas Christian University began its athletic life as an independent program with a six-year ( 1914 – 1920 ) stint in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association before eventually joining its longtime home , the Southwest Conference ( SWC ) , in 1923 . TCU remained a member of the SWC until it disbanded after the 1995 – 96 academic year when the University of Texas , Texas A&M University , Texas Tech University and Baylor University defected from the conference to form the Big 12 Conference together with the members of the Big Eight Conference ; the University of Arkansas had previously left for the Southeastern Conference in 1990 , in the aftermath of the Southern Methodist University football scandal , leaving the SWC with no presence outside of the state of Texas ) . The Horned Frogs , without a conference to call home after 72 years , joined the Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ) , along with SMU and Rice . TCU called the WAC home from 1996 through 2000 . In 2001 , TCU joined Conference USA ( C-USA ) and remained there through 2004 . TCU joined the Mountain West Conference ( MWC ) in 2005 . In 2010 , TCU accepted an invitation to join the Big East Conference in all sports starting in 2012 ; however , on October 10 , 2011 , TCU announced that it had reversed its decision and would be joining the Big 12 ( headquartered in another Metroplex city , Irving ) in 2012 instead , a move that went into effect July 1
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
TCU Horned Frogs