Neill Gets Sentenced in Case

Nevada quarterback David Neill, a former Hart High standout, has pleaded guilty in Reno, Nev., to a misdemeanor charge of possessing a stolen prepaid phone card.

Neill, 18, was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

Neill and two teammates were arrested in October in connection with the vandalism of a prepaid telephone calling-card machine on campus.

All initially were charged with felony grand larceny and were suspended from the team. Neill, whose charge later was reduced to a misdemeanor, was reinstated after one week.

Charges against teammates Mark Marcos and Chris Haagenson were reduced to a gross misdemeanor. The two pleaded guilty.

Neill, a freshman, set school passing records last season and is expected to be the starter again in the fall.

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Cal State Northridge finalized its 1999 schedule by signing to host Western Oregon, an NAIA school, in the opener on Sept. 4.

The schedule (all times Pacific):

Sept. 4, Western Oregon, 3:05 p.m.; Sept. 11, at Kansas, 4:30 p.m.; Sept. 25, at Eastern Washington, 6:05 p.m.; Oct. 2, Idaho State, 3:05 p.m.; Oct. 9, at Montana, 12:05 p.m.; Oct. 16, Cal State Sacramento, 3:05 p.m.; Oct. 23, at Montana State, 12:05 p.m.; Oct. 30, Weber State, 3:05 p.m.; Nov. 6, at Portland State, TBA; Nov. 13, at Southern Methodist, noon; Nov. 20, Northern Arizona, 3:05 p.m.

ATHLETICS

* Bill 338, a proposal to require state public colleges and universities to provide a one-year notice before eliminating sports programs, on Wednesday was passed unanimously by the state Senate Education Committee in Sacramento.

The committee voted 12-0 to forward the bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The bill is targeted to take effect by January.