OMAHA, Neb. -- Nebraska athletic director Bill Byrne plans to talk with Texas A&M officials about the Aggies' opening for an athletic director, the Omaha World-Herald reported in its Saturday editions.

Wally Groff, who has been the Texas A&M athletic director since 1993, announced this summer that he is stepping down on Dec. 31. Groff said he decided to step down so new Texas A&M president Robert Gates can pick his own management team.

Byrne told the World-Herald that Texas A&M representatives contacted him more than a month ago seeking recommendations for a new athletic director.

Byrne, 57, said after giving the school some names, A&M officials called him back to ask if they could talk to him about filling the slot.

Byrne, who has been Nebraska's athletic director for 10 years, said he plans only to visit with Aggies officials about the opening.

"That's really all I have to say because it hasn't gotten any further than that,'' Byrne told the newspaper.

Byrne received a 4.6 percent salary hike this year to $229,472. That figure does not include incentive bonuses, honorariums and country club memberships. Last year, Byrne received the highest in total bonuses with $74,798.

Nebraska's athletic department budget has nearly tripled since Byrne was named to head the department in 1992.

Nebraska's 23-sport department has a budget of about $45 million. That compares to Texas A&M's 21-sport athletic department with about a $35 million budget.

The head of Texas A&M's hiring committee has said the school's new athletic director will probably be chosen from a pool of current athletic directors, The Dallas Morning News reported earlier this month.