The Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame is staying as a football independent - for the moment.

In response to a USA Today report that the school had inquired about full membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference, athletic director Kevin White said Thursday the university would "continue to monitor the landscape."

The newspaper, citing unidentified officials within the ACC, said Notre Dame was "inquiring" about joining the conference.

One official said the school also contacted the Big Ten.

School officials previously said Notre Dame, a member of the Big East in other sports, has been approached by several conferences about joining, and that the university has declined.

"We're staying the course with the Big East and we're going to continue to monitor the landscape," White said in the statement.

ACC commissioner John Swofford said Thursday the league "has not initiated discussions with anyone regarding further expansion."

"We are very satisfied with where we are as a 12-member conference," Swofford said in a statement. "We have received some informal inquires concerning potential membership, but our schools are not pursuing any institution for membership at this time."

The ACC expanded to 11 schools in June by adding football powers Miami and Virginia Tech from the Big East Conference for the 2004 season. Boston College is also leaving the Big East for the ACC, but perhaps not until 2006.

The unidentified ACC sources told USA Today that Notre Dame is looking to join a conference because of the uncertainty of the future of the Bowl Championship Series, which has tie-ins with six football conferences and Notre Dame. The current BCS contract ends after the 2005 season.

As a football independent, Notre Dame doesn't have to share its gate receipts, bowl payouts or its multimillion dollar television contract with NBC. That contract ends after the 2005 season.

ILLINOIS: Trustees delayed a vote that could have retired mascot Chief Illiniwek. Trustee Frances G. Carroll withdrew her resolution to get rid of the mascot and said she would reintroduce it in March, when most students will be gone from campus for summer break.

"It's political," Carroll said of her decision. "I didn't have the votes."

The mascot has been criticized as degrading to American Indians.