Big 12 executives met Thursday to approve the application of Arizona as a 14th member of the conference, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellinger reports.

The Wildcats are still awaiting the Board of Regents’ approval, per Dellinger.

The meeting was to discuss legal advice regarding the future of Arizona and Arizona State athletics.

CBS Sports reports a conference sever between the two schools is unlikely. The Wildcats leaving the Sun Devils behind in the Pac-12 “would be extremely surprising,” one high-ranking source said.

“I just can’t imagine Arizona going to the Big 12 and Arizona State not going with,” another source said.

A person with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press said that Arizona State was not as far along in the process, which could slow down Arizona’s final decision because the Tucson-based school would prefer to be in sync with its rivals from Tempe.

The boards of regents for Arizona’s two biggest universities, along with the University of Washington, scheduled special meetings for Thursday night amid speculation that more Pac-12 schools could leave the flailing conference.

The Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees Arizona and Arizona State, were holding a closed executive session to look at possible legal advice and discussion regarding university athletics. Washington regents called a special meeting to discuss present pending or potential litigation with counsel.

Southern California and UCLA are headed to the Big Ten next year, the same time Colorado is leaving the West Coast’s largest and most storied conference for the Big 12.

That leaves the Pac-12 with nine schools — for now — and no media rights deal beyond the upcoming school year with the Big Ten again eyeing the troubled league. None of the other remaining schools have scheduled regent or trustee meetings — yet.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.