UF's football team isn't the only program improving its ranking from last year.
UF claimed the No. 7 spot in peta2's Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges contest. UF ranked No. 10 for the past two years.
The youth division of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or peta2, has held a nationwide election for the past three years to recognize campuses that offer delectable meatless dishes.
Ryan Huling, peta2's college campaign coordinator, wrote in an e-mail that the organization picks its final nominees based on the consistency and quality of the meatless options at dining halls.
About 30,000 students voted over the past month, he wrote.
Jill Rodriguez, marketing program manager of Gator Dining Services, wrote in an e-mail that UF's climb in the rankings may have stemmed from Gator Dining's promotional efforts, which included posters in dining halls, a banner on the Web site and various Listserv announcements that encouraged students, faculty and staff to vote for UF.
Aside from offering full vegan stations at the Fresh Food Company and Gator Corner Dining Center, Rodriguez wrote that UF has added new entrees to its recipe collection.
Popular dishes include tempeh pizza, Asian sesame pasta, vegan tacos and eggplant chimichurri.
Shyamal Patel, vice president of Animal Activists of Alachua, said she was happy to see UF improve its veggie-friendly status.
"It's good to be a Gator when we're No. 7," Patel said. "But we could be higher."
