By JOHN MARSHALL and TIM BOOTH (AP Sports Writers) Arizona is in talks to join the Big 12, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press, and a board of regents meeting Thursday night could determine whether Arizona State is ready to leave the Pac-12, too, and join the Wildcats. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither the school nor the conference were prepared to finalize an invitation to the Wildcats. The person added 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.