Year-Round Meals Vote on the Table

Chancellors and presidents of Pacific 10 Conference schools are scheduled to vote Monday on a measure that would allow schools the option of providing athletes with one meal per day year-round, rather than only when their sport is in season. The measure, which is expected to be approved, would bring the Pac-10 in line with other major conferences.

Pac-10 football coaches have lobbied long and hard for approval. Students living on campus, including players, can eat all meals in the dormitories. But coaches want to ensure that players living off campus are not spending most of their scholarship money on movies and compact discs and subsisting on 39-cent tacos.

“These kids are training year-round,” California Coach Tom Holmoe said. “I’m nervous about what they do, nutrition-wise, in the off-season. I’d like to know they’re getting one good meal a day.”

UCLA Coach Bob Toledo spoke fondly of the training table when he coached at Texas A&M;, where fine restaurants provided lavish steak and shrimp dinners for the team. The UCLA players gather on campus after practice for a dinner that offers fellowship and sustenance if not haute cuisine.

In Monday’s session, chancellors and presidents also are expected to approve the restoration of a men’s basketball tournament and the introduction of a women’s basketball tournament.

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Tailback Akil Harris will make his first career start Saturday against Oregon State. Harris, a redshirt freshman, has gained 159 yards in 33 carries since starting tailback DeShaun Foster suffered a broken hand.

Senior Jermaine Lewis started last Saturday against Cal, carrying 16 times for 15 yards. Lewis, who suffered a moderate ankle sprain in the game, has practiced sparingly this week but is expected to play Saturday. Foster has practiced this week to maintain conditioning but is not expected to play.

Toledo also said that reserve defensive back Jason Stephens would not play because of a pulled hamstring. That weakens the Bruins’ secondary depth against Oregon State quarterback Jonathan Smith, who has passed for 638 yards and five touchdowns in the last two weeks and has not thrown an interception in seven weeks.