The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE - University of Louisville president James Ramsey talked to Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson on Thursday about a downtown basketball arena, but Mr. Ramsey and the mayor's office said the issue is a distant priority.

"At the appropriate time, we'll get back together," Mr. Ramsey said. "It's too early to get into any kind of a definitive discussion."

"It's really in its preliminary phase," said Chad Carlton, a spokesman for Mr. Abramson.

But Mr. Carlton said Mr. Abramson was "very receptive" to the idea of a downtown arena. He also said the new merged city-county government would help U of L finance the arena's construction.

University of Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich and men's basketball coach Rick Pitino have been pushing for a new arena since shortly after Mr. Pitino was hired in March 2001.

Both men have said the Cardinals need to find an alternative to 47-year-old Freedom Hall, which lacks space for additional luxury suites and hosts a full slate of non-basketball events, complicating scheduling.

Mr. Jurich told the Louisville Courier-Journal that he and Mr. Pitino were eyeing a site on the city's waterfront, next to Louisville Slugger Field.

However, Mr. Ramsey said U of L's priority is securing funding for Bucks for Brains, the program that helps universities attract researchers.