University presidents at the 85th annual NCAA convention in Nashville last week overwhelmingly passed a reform package that includes cost-cutting proposals that will affect Penn State athletic teams.

Although University President Joab Thomas voted in favor of the package, he disagreed with the proposed 10 percent cut in athletic scholarships and the limitation on some sports' coaching staff size.

Thomas expressed concern that the proposed scholarship cut will deprive some students of the opportunity to attend school.

For Division I schools, such as Penn State, the number of available football scholarships will be cut from 95 to 85 per year. Both men's and women's basketball scholarships will be limited to 13, as opposed to the 15 currently available.

"Hopefully (the cut) is a move that would create more parity and I'm in favor of anything that would create more parity," men's basketball coach Bruce Parkhill said. "There are schools that stockpile players, and hopefully this will spread the wealth."

Women's basketball coach Rene Portland believes taking away two scholarships will not reduce costs. A more effective way to cut costs, she said, would be to cut a squad's size. The costs of providing travel, food and clothing for a player can exceed the cost of a scholarship, she said.

"Just taking opportunities away from kids is not the answer right now," she said.

Another proposal Thomas disliked was the limitation on the number of coaches per team. Tim Curley, assistant to the athletic director, said the limitation will vary with each sport.

Thomas said "cutting the number of coaches is like cutting the faculty." He said coaches often provide guidance and inspiration to athletes, especially with the deterioration of the role of the family.

Both coaches agree with Thomas about the coaching staff reduction proposal.

"(A part-time coaching position) is one of the few avenues young people have to get into the profession. It's not a significant cost cutting measure," Parkhill said.

In addition to the scholarship and coaching staff reductions, the NCAA Cost Reduction Committee also reduced the number of telephone contacts coaches may make with recruits, the number of personal contacts with recruits to three per year and the number of recruit evaluations to four per year.

In football, allowed contacts and evaluations will drop from 14 per year and from six in all other sports. Sports which currently recruit throughout the year will have to establish a three-month contact and evaluation period, Curley said.

Although many proposals were passed, Parkhill believes that the NCAA still has not addressed two issues which he calls the "heart and soul of creating parity." He said he would like to see teams get more equal television coverage and would like the number of home games a team may play to be limited to 15 or 16.

Since most of these proposals will not go into effect for two or three years, the NCAA will have the opportunity to refine proposals at next January's convention, Curley said.