Southern California Suits Stanford

After spending four days at the four-star, $300-a-night Loews Hotel in Santa Monica and practicing at Santa Monica College, Stanford has moved to the four-star, $289-a-night Beverly Hilton and begun closed practices at USC.

The Cardinal decided to come to Southern California a week early because their campus was closed for the holidays and they would have been living out of a hotel anyway.

“The beach looks pretty nice and I think our kids will enjoy the locations we have for them,” Coach Tyrone Willingham said.

This week, the team has gone to “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” visited Paramount Studios and participated in the Beef Bowl at Lawry’s. Still to come are a Clipper-Celtic game at Staples Center on Sunday, a trip to Disneyland on Monday and a visit to Universal Studios on Wednesday.

The team will have one last open practice Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon at USC.

One important player declared out of the Rose Bowl is defensive tackle Willie Howard, who damaged his anterior cruciate ligament in the regular-season finale against Notre Dame and will undergo surgery next month.

The 290-pound Howard said he intends to be “the biggest cheerleader” on the sideline. He has not lost his appetite, though. He consumed eight slabs of prime rib at Lawry’s and won a spicy chicken-wing eating contest at Hooters.

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Stanford’s first appearance in a Rose Bowl since 1972 has certainly inspired its fans. The Cardinal sold out their 32,000-ticket allotment in 10 days.

“It’s fabulous,” said John Kates, the school’s director of major gifts.

The big question is how many famous Stanford alumni and supporters will attend the game? Confirmed are former coach John Ralston, former quarterback Jim Plunkett, NFL executive Gene Washington and golfer Casey Martin. Probable are financial whiz Charles Schwab and former Secretary of State George Shultz. Doubtful is John Elway. Tiger Woods is working.

No word yet whether Gov. Gray Davis, Chelsea Clinton or any of the four U.S. Supreme Court justices who graduated from Stanford will attend the game.

And don’t expect an appearance from astronaut Steven Smith, a former Stanford water polo player who’s busy fixing the Hubble Space Telescope.

“He’s up in space,” athletic director Ted Leland said. “He’s excused.”