Report: Media ban at UC football banquet

CINCINNATI, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Reporters were uninvited to Thursday's University of Cincinnati football banquet, ESPN reported.

The move was made because Coach Brian Kelly is expected to tell his Bearcat players about his talks with officials this week at Notre Dame.

The hype about him replacing the fired Charlie Weis at South Bend could be a distraction in his fourth-ranked team's preparations for the Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 against fifth-ranked Florida.

Also, Kelly was involved in talks with UC Athletic Director Mike Thomas about a contract extension and possible upgrades at the Big East school's facilities.

The Cincinnati Post reported Kelly signed a five-year contact extension with a guaranteed a salary of $1.2 million to $1.35 million just this week.