The Charlotte Observer, citing sources inside and outside the ACC, reported in its Thursday editions that the conference presidents have had discussions with Notre Dame about becoming the conference's 12th member and relinquishing its independent status in football.

Later Thursday, Notre Dame spokesman John Heisler told ESPN.com that the Fighting Irish will remain an independent and have not agreed to join the ACC in stages, directly disputing the Observer story.

ACC commissioner John Swofford also weighed in, calling the newspaper's report "erroneous."

According to the Observer's report, sources told the newspaper that ACC presidents and chancellors have set a time to discuss -- and possibly vote on -- the Fighting Irish's candidacy to become the ACC's much-needed 12th member.

"The stage has been set," a source told the Observer on Wednesday night.

According to the newspaper's account of the scenario, Notre Dame would join the ACC in 2004 or '05 in every sport but football, with partial membership in football for several years but a commitment to become a full member by a specific date.

"The suggestion that we would bring our football program into any conference is inaccurate," Heisler told ESPN.com, speaking for Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White. "We haven't done an about-face. We're not looking to bring our football team into any league with a full-fledged membership. I have no idea where that is coming from. Maybe people in the ACC are promoting that agenda. That isn't something that we're now prepared to do."

Heisler said the Irish remain committed to the Big East as a member in all other sports. He said he can't say if White has had conversations with the ACC about other sports, but they haven't had any talks involving football.

"We don't think in the current marketplace that we need to change," Heisler told ESPN.com. "We're not ready to go the other direction."

Heisler cited the Irish's television exposure -- Notre Dame has its own $9 million-dollar deal with NBC -- and its track record of selling out home games, and said that it doesn't make sense for the university to join a football conference.

"We have not agreed with anybody and our position is we're not going to," Heisler told ESPN.com. "We always told Mike Tranghese [Big East commissioner] that there wasn't an expectation that football would come and join. But we knew the questions would come once Miami and Virginia Tech left the Big East for the ACC.

"But the answer is the same. We're not wavering. We're not going to change our institutional plans overnight."

Ratings show, however, the more Notre Dame loses the less people watch. Notre Dame's first game of the season -- a victory against Washington State -- was watched in 3.38 million homes. After a 38-0 loss to Michigan, this past week's loss against Michigan State was only watched in 2.53 million homes.

When the ACC football contract with ABC/ESPN expires after the 2004 season, the Disney-owned networks will have an exclusive negotiation period with the conference upon its expiration. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's contract with NBC runs out at the end of the 2005 season and industry sources tell ESPN.com not to count out NBC in bidding for ACC football rights.

NBC no longer broadcasts Major League Baseball, NFL or NBA games and ratings for the Arena League this past season were lackluster.

"We have a terrific partnership with Notre Dame," NBC spokesperson Cathy Connors told ESPN.com. "Our contract goes through 2005 and beyond that we have no further comment."

One of the reasons the ACC has continued to push for a 12th member is to be able to hold a championship football game, which would generate upwards of $10 million a year for the league. And the NCAA hasn't sent positive signals about new legislation seeking a title game for 10-team leagues. On Thursday, an NCAA panel denied the ACC's request to hold a football championship game as early as 2004.

Virginia Tech and Miami have agreed to join the ACC next year, expanding the league to 11. Initial plans were to include Boston College and Syracuse instead of Virginia Tech, which would have given the ACC 12 schools.

If the ACC's pursuit of Notre Dame falls flat, the conference is expected to reconsider offering Boston College a spot, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report. Inviting BC was rejected by a 6-3 vote in June.

Information from ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz and sports business reporter Darren Rovell was used in this report.