USF named top vegetarian-friendly college in Florida

Although USF will have to wait another year to compete against the University of Florida (UF) on the football field, the Bulls already won at a different game.

First-year nominee USF beat UF head-to-head for the No. 1 Florida school, moving to the second round in the fourth-annual “Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges” contest, the national animal rights group peta2 announced Monday.

USF will compete for a spot in the quarterfinals now. Those schools will receive certificates to hang on the walls of every dining hall on campus, said Ryan Huling, senior college campaign coordinator for peta2.

Nominees were selected based on student feedback and research about the quality and the quantity of the vegetarian and vegan options available on campus, Huling said.

“The contest aims to draw attention and highlight the efforts of dining halls that go above and beyond to meet the needs of students looking for healthier and more humane options,” Huling said.

USF Dining Services provides healthier and vegan-friendly food options for students, such as vegetarian sausage, vegan black bean soup and vegan soft-serve ice cream, Huling said.

There are five rounds of the competition. The second round voting ends Monday, Huling said. Final results will be posted on peta2.com Nov. 23.