Greg Bzorek is expecting big things this football season.

The only problem is there may not be one.

Bzorek, a Knoch High School graduate and 6-foot-6, 318-pound senior right tackle for the Edinboro University football team, may be fiddling with fishing tackle instead of blocking defensive tackles on the football field Saturday afternoons.

That's because non-faculty coaches at the 14 state-owned universities in Pennsylvania are dangerously close to walking off the job - and shutting down the fall sports seasons at those schools.

"I've been playing football every weekend in the fall since I was 13 years old," Bzorek said. "I have no idea what I would do. Maybe I'd go fishing."

In June, the non-faculty coaches - thought to be a part of the only union in the country for athletic coaches - overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.

That date appears to be growing near as little progress has been made in reaching a contract agreement between the state system and the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, which represents the coaches.

A mid-to-late August strike date has been considered, but no date has been set.

A strike would shut down the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference of which Slippery Rock University and Bzorek's Edinboro University are a part.

A strike would also be unprecedented.

Slippery Rock University football coach George Mihalik, who is one of just three head football coaches in the PSAC who are faculty members and not part of the union, said he believes a strike will be averted.

"I don't think it will come down to that," Mihalik said. "I think in the 12th hour, both sides will see the seriousness of it and come to an agreement."

Mihalik said he believes the thought of putting a football season in peril will be sobering to both sides.

He also said football would unfortunately be a central part of the negotiations.

"If it happens, it will happen when the regular season starts," Mihalik said. "The first game is Aug. 27. They are going to use football as a big bargaining chip.

"The unfortunate part of this is football is going to be used as the hammer."

Even if there is a strike, the football season could be saved if there is a quick settlement.

The way the football schedule is set up, the first PSAC conference games will not be played until Sept. 10.

"We could have an eight- or nine-week season," Mihalik said. "Whatever happens, the games we miss can't be made up."

Bzorek also said he doesn't think a strike will happen, but he sees the coaches' point of view.

"The coaches don't get paid as much, but I believe the coaches coach because they love it," Bzorek said.

A work stoppage this fall would be particularly bad timing for Bzorek and Edinboro.

Bzorek was named to the third team on the Associated Press Little All-American squad after last season and has designs on playing at the next level.

The Fighting Scots, co-champions of the PSAC-West two years in a row, have some serious Division II national championship aspirations this season.

All would be lost if a strike is called and drags on.

"If we couldn't get to play the season, it would be a big disappointment," Bzorek said. "Personally, I've been working all summer for this. I'm still at Edinboro and my No. 1 goal is to win a national championship.

"This is the season we've all been dreaming about for years."

Bzorek said he and his teammates have discussed the situation, but are of the mindset to plod on as if there is no labor dispute.

"We're going to show up every day and not think about it," Bzorek said. "It's kind of frustrating because there is nothing we can do about it."

Non-faculty coaches have been working without a contract since the previous agreement expired June 30, 2004.

Health care costs have been the biggest bugaboo to the negotiations. Administrators proposed a 10 percent medical copay, but union officials claim that would cancel out the raises for some coaches who make less than $40,000 a year.

Raises and evaluations of performance are other issues that have slowed the process.