As 60 women's basketball supporters watched the team leave yesterday for the first round of the NCAA tournament, some University students planned a Wednesday-night rally to protest a decision to oust the team from its home court.

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics had decided by Feb. 23 to reserve Rec Hall for a possible men's National Invitation Tournament game. That forced the women's team, seeded seventh in the East region, to face 10th-seeded Florida State in Tallahassee tomorrow night. The men's basketball team plays host to Marquette in a first-round NIT game tomorrow night.

Pointing to disparity between men's and women's athletics, members of three students groups will hold a rally outside Rec Hall during the men's NIT game, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Undergraduate Student Government Department of Women's Concerns, the Lesbian and Gay Student Alliance and USG executives are sponsoring tomorrow's "Bring the Game Home Rally," scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Rally participants plan to listen to the women's game on radio.

Lady Lion players, including center Tina Henry, said they will miss the home-crowd support.

"The crowd is like the sixth man on the court and we have been getting great support all year," Henry said. "How many people are going to fly down to Florida in the middle of the week?"

"All I have to say is it's total sex discrimination," said Don Henry as his daughter's bus pulled away from Rec Hall yesterday. Then, in response to a reporter's questions on the situation, he turned both thumbs down.

Guard Dana Eikenberg said she is upset that fans will not be able to watch the game from the stands.

"We were fired up when we found out, but we were more fired up because we felt that the people here were disappointed," she said.

But guard Tanya Garner said the team cannot get worry about the Rec Hall situation because it has a game to win.

"(The men's team is) trying to win the NIT but we're trying to win the NCAA," she said. "They're playing basketball and we're playing basketball, so pretty much we're on the same pace."

Some members of the men's team, whose game against Marquette will be aired on ESPN, said yesterday they empathize with the Lady Lions' situation.

"I'm sure they'd like to play at home because they're a higher seed," said forward Dave Degitz. "That's too bad."

"It's a shame that college athletics has come down to money," center Ed Fogell added. "They had a great year with winning the Atlantic 10 and I think they deserve a home-court advantage. But it's not my decision to make and I feel bad for them because it's like we're taking away from them. But that's the breaks.

USG President Janyne Althaus called the decision sexist because if the men's team had not received a home bid to the NIT tournament, the women's team would still play in Tallahassee tomorrow and Rec Hall would be empty.

"This is a slap in the face for every woman athlete," Althaus said. "The NCAA tournament should be played in Rec Hall Wednesday night and that's the bottom line."

The Department of Women's Concerns will post flyers to notify the University community about the rally.

"It's just camaraderie," said Jane Moyer, a 1987 alumna. "I mean, we'd all be sitting in Rec Hall rooting for the team together anyway, and this is just a fun way to bring it all together and say, 'Hey look, we really belong here.' "

"It is my position that a fundamental principle of equity and fairness has been compromised by this decision," said Sabrina Chapman, director of the Center for Women's Students.

Rally organizer Alnisa Allgood said the decision to have the men's team play at Rec Hall is an example of how the University treats women as second-class citizens.

"I think it's just characteristic of how they treat all (women) sports at Penn State," said Allgood, social and educational co-director for LGSA.