FORT WORTH (AP) - Leaders of the Big 12 Conference have cleared the way to make Texas Christian University its 10th member.

The league announced the decision today and said the Big 12 board had "authorized negotiations" with TCU. The defending Rose Bowl champion agreed earlier this year to leave the Mountain West Conference after this season for the Big East, which has an automatic Bowl Championship Series berth.

University of Oklahoma president David Boren said today the invitation was “enthusiastically and unanimously supported by all of the members of the conference." The University of Missouri did not participate in today’s vote as it explores options to leave the Big 12.

The Big 12 Board of Directors today also voted to prohibit The Longhorn Network from showing high school game highlights. The NCAA has already banned school-affiliated networks from showing high school games, saying they would be an unfair recruiting advantage.

The board banned the use of highlights from prep games, though scores, standings and game statistics will still be allowed if approved by the NCAA. The Longhorn Network is a 20-year, $300 million venture between Texas and ESPN struck earlier this year.

The Big 12 also said that airing a second football game on the network requires approval by both schools and the league's television partners, Fox Sports and ABC/ESPN.