Report: Big 12 approves Arizona’s application to join conference

Another domino in college realignment is reportedly about to fall.

Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger and ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Thursday evening that Big 12 executives met to approve Arizona’s application to the conference.

Arizona’s Board of Regents met on Thursday night, going into a private executive session. To finalize the move, the Arizona Board of Regents would seemingly need to hold a vote that is visible to the public, like Colorado did when they joined the Big 12.

“Barring an unexpected turn in the Board of Regents meeting, Arizona’s decision is expected be formalized soon, sources said,” Thamel wrote.

Decisions from Utah and Arizona State, who have been rumored to be Big 12 expansion “targets,” haven’t progressed as quickly as Arizona, Dellenger reported.

“More discussions would be necessary for either Arizona State or Utah to move,” Thamel wrote, but the Big 12 has “courted” both schools.

The Utes and Sun Devils “always have been on a separate timeline” than the Wildcats, who had meetings with the Big 12 in recent months, according to Thamel.

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As the realignment world continues to turn, Washington has a Board of Regents met late Thursday night in a private executive session for about 90 minutes. Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel reported that the Big Ten’s “focus on possible expansion has narrowed to adding just two schools — Oregon and Washington.”