Tulsa, Okla. ? Tulsa University athletic director Bubba Cunningham on Saturday was asked by the Tulsa World to respond to a Lawrence Journal-World report that Cunningham is a candidate for Kansas University’s vacant athletic director post.

Cunningham told the Tulsa paper he was deferring to TU spokesperson Don Tomkalski, who issued a statement.

“Just as is the case with any coach, we do not comment on speculative conversation regarding any open positions at other institutions,” Tomkalski told the paper.

Cunningham was mentioned as a candidate for the Notre Dame athletic director’s job in a 2008 search. He was ranked Conference USA’s third-most powerful person in a 2009 Orlando Sentinel story, behind league commissioner Britton Banowsky and UCF president John Hitt.

The Tulsa World reports Cunningham has helped raise funds for the $30 million renovation of Chapman Stadium. The athletic program has also captured 27 C-USA championships, more than any other school in the 12-league conference since 2005. No other school has more than 20.

Cunningham was Ball State’s athletic director from 2002-05. Before that, he worked for his alma mater as Notre Dame’s associate athletics director for finance and facilities (1995-2000) and associate athletic director of athletics for external affairs (2000-02).