Louisiana State University announced Monday that Alleva was one of six finalists who would interview today with the school's search committee in Baton Rouge, La.

Alleva could not immediately be reached for comment.

In a Duke athletic department release late Monday, however, he confirmed that he had been contacted by LSU and described the conversations as "limited and exploratory" in nature.

"[I] am honored to be considered for such a prestigious position," Alleva said in the release.

After receiving a positive review and a five-year contract renewal from Duke University in August, Alleva was considered for the athletic director job at the University of Miami earlier this year.

At that time, he said he was happy at Duke.

The review and contract renewal surprised some, coming on the heels of a difficult period for Alleva, who took heat for his handling of both the Duke lacrosse situation and the firing of men's lacrosse coach Mike Pressler.

Alleva also has had to fire two football coaches, most recently Ted Roof in November. But Alleva replaced Roof with David Cutcliffe, a popular choice who had guided potent offensive teams at Tennessee as a coordinator and at Ole Miss in his only other stint as a head coach.

During his first 10 years in the Duke post, Alleva has successfully pushed for extensive improvements in athletic facilities. The men's and women's basketball practice facility and academic support building, which opened in January as the Michael W. Krzyzewski Center, is the most recent example.

Alleva also is overseeing a strategic plan for the athletic department that he presented to the Duke trustees in late February. A formal vote on the plan could come as soon as May.

Key to that plan are recommendations to fix the football program. The first phase -- to refurbish bathrooms and concessions stands at Wallace Wade Stadium -- was approved in December.

The new athletic director at LSU will replace Skip Bertman, the former LSU baseball coach. Bertman's contract runs through June 30, 2010, but stipulates he will step aside and become athletic director emeritus in 2008.

Florida State athletic director Dave Hart is also on the list of finalists, with LSU senior associate athletic directors Verge Ausberry and Herb Vincent, Florida Atlantic athletic director Craig Angelos and Kentucky associate athletic director Rob Mullins.

Alleva, Hart and Mullins were the newest additions to the applicant pool.

The committee is expected to make a final recommendation to William Jenkins, the acting chancellor at LSU, later in the day after the interviews are completed.