HARRISBURG -- Leaders of the union representing non-faculty coaches at Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities accepted a state mediator's proposal today to settle a labor dispute that has threatened to disrupt the fall sports season.

The administration of the State System of Higher Education planned to announce tomorrow whether it also will endorse the proposed contract after meeting with the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, system spokesman Kenn Marshall said.

"We're just being extremely cautious. Our chief negotiator would like to see everybody's initials on the agreement," Marshall said.

The coaches have been working without a contract since June 30, 2004. Both sides have disagreed over issues including health care, salary, retroactive pay, and tying renewals to performance reviews.

Union officials have said they had set a strike date but would not reveal what it was. A walkout would be the first of its kind among collegiate athletic coaches and would likely shut down the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, according to union officials.

Marshall would not reveal details of the mediator's proposal, which was approved by the union's executive committee. Union president Pat Heilman said the contract would award the coaches higher salary increases near the end of the pact, a structure similar to a faculty contract that was ratified last year.

"In the last year, it kind of makes up for the sparse years in the beginning," said Heilman, who did not have details on the amount of the raises.

The proposal also calls for the coaches to contribute a small percentage of their gross salary toward health-care costs, instead of a 10 percent medical copayment similar to one in the faculty contract, which administrators had originally proposed, Heilman said.

If the administration signs off, the union expects to forward the proposal to its legislative assembly for consideration next week at the earliest, Heilman said.

A formal contract would then have to be ratified by the 360 rank-and-file members and the state system's board of governors.

The state system schools include Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester universities.