A threatened strike by coaches of the 14 state-run universities could shut down an entire athletic conference and leave 8,400 athletes sidelined, starting with the fall sports season.

The coaches last week voted by a ratio of more than 9-to-1 to authorize a strike. As many as 361 coaches would be affected.

They want better job security and a health insurance plan that is based on a percentage of salary, so that lower-paid employees are not paying a greater share of their income toward benefits than their higher-paid colleagues.

If there is a strike, the fall sports schedule of the NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference -- from cross-country and tennis to field hockey and football -- could be canceled. A prolonged walkout would affect winter and spring sports.