Five panelists yesterday celebrated the expansion of Harvard athletics since the 1950s, but several cautioned that the University must continue to make academics its top priority and must avoid seeking national status for its teams.

"We really played a lot more for the fun of it--there's a lot more pressure now." Bill Cleary '56, coach of the men's hockey team and a hockey star during his undergraduate days told an audience of more than 100 an a panel discussion on "Harvard Athletics: Then and Now."

Cleary and others stressed that longer seasons and more intense competition with other schools have stepped up pressure on today's athletes--effectively eliminating three-sport athletes and intensifying the difficulty of balancing athletics and schoolwork.

Boats

For example, the elimination of the "freshman rule," allowing today's freshmen to compete on a varsity level in most sports. "Is not healthy. From an academic point of view, it's not good." Cleary argued. "In the middle of final exams (freshman are) worrying about the Beanpot," he said.

Harvard tried to avoid abandoning restriction on freshmen participation in varsity athletics. Cleary said, explaining that the University only relaxed those rules when it became clear that "from a practical point of view we wouldn't get any hockey players."

Dexter Lewis '56, who was captain of the lacrosse team for two years, said "athletics of Harvard. . .are always kept perspective" and that athletes here are driven only by "a pressure from within." During his undergraduate days. Lewis said. "We knew we were athletes but we knew we were at Harvard for a far more important reason--for an education."

A Quick Dip

Swimming co-captain Bobby Hackett '81, a silver medalist in the 1976 Olympics, echoed a similar theme, saying he chose Harvard above schools like Princeton that "hounded me forever."

"They showed me Harvard--they didn't just show me the pool." Hackett recalled. He urged the University to continue its practice of not awarding financial aid on the basis of athletic talent, but said that Harvard swimming "is becoming very hard-core. People tend to forget what they're here for."

"Total education is the thing I hope students are looking at." John P. Reardon '60, director of athletics, said, arguing that if Harvard squads seek national acclaim, "it's not going to work out very well for us." If squads excel within their own leagues. Reardon said, they can gain national publicity without having to compete directly against collegiate powerhouses.

In fact, Reardon said, the University is considering trying to change the Ivy League schedules of several teams to include more games against Ivy League squads and fewer contests with outside schools.

Such a move might be "the only way" the school could remain competitive in sports like hockey while maintaining academic standards, he added.