UMaine athletic director Steve Abbott, whose 2-year contract expires on Sunday, met recently with UMaine President Dr. Paul Ferguson and agreed to a 6-month extension.

“The president didn’t want to do a search this summer with everything going on,” Abbott told the Bangor Daily News. “You’ve got the Memorial Gym [and Field House] renovation, the deal with the Cross Insurance Center [for men’s and women’s home basketball games] and the apparel deal that we’re working on. A search is a very time-consuming process.”

Abbott, an Orono native, will receive $70,000, or half of his $140,000 annual salary, for the 6-month term. Abbott is eligible to apply for the position once it is posted and will make a decision about his future by the end of the summer. A major factor in the decision is Abbott’s family, with whom he lives in Portland.

“The hardest thing is not being home on [many] weeknights,” Abbott told the Bangor Daily News. “But I’m not complaining. I have a job that I love. It’s a thrill for me to be part of the University of Maine’s athletic department.”

Abbott started as athletic director on an interim basis in Sept. 2010 after Blake James left for a position at the University of Miami.