 UCLA logo | |  USC logo | |
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The 'UCLA-USC rivalry' is the
college rivalry between two
universities located in
Los Angeles, California: the '
University of California, Los Angeles' and the '
University of Southern California'.
The athletic competition rivalry between the two schools is one-of-a-kind in
NCAA Division I sports because both schools are located within the same city. The campuses are only ten miles apart. The sheer proximity of both alumni and students, and the likelihood of encountering each other and interacting on a daily basis make this one of the most intense college rivalries in the United States.
Athletic Rivalry
UCLA is recognized as having one of the top basketball programs in the nation, while USC is recognized as having one of the top football programs in the nation. However, a somewhat rare confluence of events occurred in 1954, which began with USC in their only Final Four appearance in the
1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and ended with UCLA winning their only
NCAA Division I-A national football championship.
Both schools also are successful in many "non-revenue" sports. UCLA historically has been a national power in volleyball, soccer and women's softball, while USC had a very strong record in college baseball in the 1960s and 70s. Both have had success at times in track and field, water polo, tennis, and women's basketball. Through 2007, UCLA has won 100 NCAA team championships, which is more than any other college or university. USC ranks 3rd with 84 (though the NCAA does not award National Championships in Division I-A football, leaving out USC's 11 Football Championships from their tally) behind Stanford University's 93.
Lexus Gauntlet
Main articles: Lexus Gauntlet
The
Lexus Gauntlet is the name given to a competition between UCLA and USC in the 18 varsity sports that both compete in head-to-head; in 2003, 2005, and 2007 UCLA won the Lexus Gauntlet Trophy, while the University of Southern California won the trophy in 2002, 2004, and 2006.
Football rivalry
The 2006 UCLA vs. USC game at the Rose Bowl, note the visiting USC fans in red and home UCLA fans in blue.
USC is one of the top teams in the country in college football, and recognizes 11 of its teams as
National Champions. UCLA has one team recognized as a
National Champion.
Quite often, the winner of the football game has won or shared the
Pacific Ten Conference title in football. A berth in the
Rose Bowl game has been on the line many times as well for both schools. Since the formation of the
Pacific Coast Conference in 1916, USC has won or shared 35 conference titles and UCLA has won or shared 17 titles. Washington is third in overall conference titles with 15. Since the 1959 season, when the
Athletic Association of Western Universities conference was formed, through the 2006 season, the schools have won or shared 32 of the 48 conference titles. USC has won 17 championships outright, shared six and gone to the Rose Bowl or
BCS bowl 20 times. UCLA has won six championships outright, shared five and gone to the Rose Bowl eight times. The schools have shared the championship between them three times. Both teams have spoiled conference and national championship runs for the other.
USC was already an established national football power under
Howard Jones and had begun a major rivalry with Notre Dame when UCLA joined the
Pacific Coast Conference in 1929. USC dominated the early games (so much so, that after the first two games, the series was suspended for five years and they did not play each other from 1931-1935) until UCLA established itself. By the late 1930s, star players such as
Kenny Washington,
Jackie Robinson, and
Bob Waterfield enabled UCLA to be competitive. With the hiring of Hall of Fame Coach
Henry "Red" Sanders, UCLA became the more dominant program in the 1950s, culminating in their 1954 National Championship. But Sanders died suddenly of a heart attack, and shortly thereafter,
John McKay took over a floundering USC program and returned it to national prominence. For most seasons from the mid 1960s to the end of the 1970s, the two schools were the top powers on the west coast. In the 15 Rose Bowls played from 1966 to 1980, USC or UCLA played in 12 of them. Even with the rise of
Don James' Washington Huskies in the 1980s and early 90s, UCLA or USC still went to the Rose Bowl seven times between 1981 and 1995. In the 1990s and until the hiring of
Pete Carroll by USC, UCLA was the dominant team, winning 8 straight from USC from 1991-1998, before USC then won 7 in a row from 1999-2005.
Title of the game
The football rivalry game does not have a
catchphrase moniker like other college football rivalries, an example being "
The Big Game" played between
Stanford University and the
University of California, Berkeley. At UCLA, it is simply known as ''"the 'SC game"''. Sports pundits have tried to assign names like ''"The Los Angeles City Championship,"'' "''The Crosstown Showdown''" or "''The Battle of L.A.''", but none have really gained traction.
Activities before the game
At UCLA, the week before the game is known as "Beat 'SC Week" (officially dubbed "Blue and Gold Week"). At USC, the week before the game is known as "Troy Week" or, more popularly, "Conquest".
Both schools host a number of activities on their respective campuses during the week to promote school spirit. Activities include parades, bonfires, rallies, and live entertainment.
CONQUEST! "The Ultimate Trojan Experience" occurs on the USC campus the Thursday before the USC-UCLA Football Game. It brings together athletics, academics, school spirit and traditions and attracts almost 10,000 students, alumni, faculty and staff.
[1]
Also, both schools take steps to prevent vandalism of two major landmarks on campus: USC covers its
Tommy Trojan statue in gray plastic, while UCLA hides its Bruin statue with a large sign reading "THE BRUIN BEAR IS HIBERNATING. BEAT 'SC." Groups of students also camp out in Bruin Plaza, ostensibly to protect the Bruin Bear in the event of a prank. This has come as a response to students painting the statues in the rival schools' colors before the game.
There are a number of inter-campus competitions between various groups before the game.
★ 'ROTC "Blood Bowl"' - The football rivalry extends to the military training units at both schools. The Naval, Army, and Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps midshipmen and cadets at both universities compete in the annual "Blood Bowl"
flag football game against each other, usually held the Friday before the official game, as a parallel to the varsity match. The name stems from the often rough and passionate play by the midshipmen and cadets representing school pride.
★ 'Daily Bruin vs. Daily Trojan "Blood Bowl"' - Staff of the
Daily Bruin and
Daily Trojan have competed in a flag football contest that is also called the "Blood Bowl". This tradition has existed since at least 1982.
★ 'The Band Bowl' - From the 1950s until the mid 1990s the
UCLA Marching Band and the
USC Marching Band played in a flag football contest called the "Band Bowl". Following a fight between the two bands at a contest and multiple cases of
theft of the UCLA instruments, it was decided to suspend the series. The trophy from this version of the rivalry remains missing.
★ 'UCLA vs. USC Kickoff Golf Challenge' - UCLA teams compete against USC teams in a two-person best ball scramble.
★ 'UCLA vs. USC Men’s Ice Hockey' - UCLA and USC have teams that compete in
ACHA Division II
Ice hockey. They begin their series for the Crosstown cup.
Los Angeles Coliseum
Main articles: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
For a number of years, the schools shared the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as their home stadium until UCLA moved to the
Rose Bowl for the 1982 season. Each school alternated as the "home" team for the game, with fans on one sideline or the other. The schools both also wore their home football jerseys for the game. Since the 1984 season, when the game was played at the Rose Bowl for the second time, the visiting fans sit in the visitor section of the respective stadium, and the visiting team wears their white jerseys.
Pete Carroll, the current USC Football Coach, and Karl Dorrell, the current UCLA football coach have both expressed interest in restarting the tradition of both teams wearing home jerseys. However, ARTICLE 3. a. of the NCAA football rules states, "Players of opposing teams shall wear jerseys of contrasting colors, and the visiting team shall wear white jerseys."
[2]
With USC having exclusive use of the Coliseum, the UCLA-USC football rivalry game is played there on odd years to a sellout crowd.
The Victory Bell
Main articles: Victory Bell (USC-UCLA)
When the football teams from these schools compete against each other, the victor is awarded the
Victory Bell. The Victory Bell was originally from an old
Southern Pacific railroad
locomotive. It was given to the UCLA student body by the UCLA Alumni Association in 1939. It was UCLA's symbol of victory until it was stolen by USC students in 1941. When it was surrendered in 1942, the student body presidents of the two schools agreed that the bell would be the trophy awarded the winner of the annual UCLA-USC football game. The bell itself is brass, and the metal mounting around it is painted blue or red by the school that won the football game and earned its possession.
The Rose Bowl
Until the Rose Bowl Game became part of the
Bowl Championship Series, a berth in the Rose Bowl to face the
Big Ten Conference champion was the ultimate goal that was awarded to the conference champion. As of the 2006 season, USC has appeared in the Rose Bowl 31 times and UCLA has appeared 12 times.
UCLA was the first PAC-10 team to appear in a BCS bowl, the 1999 Rose Bowl, their last conference championship year. USC has appeared in five BCS bowl games, winning the BCS championship in 2005. With the Rose Bowl stadium being the home field for UCLA, the UCLA-USC rivalry football game has been played there to a sellout crowd during even years since 1982.
Football Series Record
As of the 2006 season, the overall record of the football series is 41 wins for USC, 28 wins for UCLA and 7 ties.
| 'Year' | 'Winner' | USC | UCLA | 'Site' | 'Trivia' |
| 1929 | USC | 76 | 0 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1930 | USC | 52 | 0 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1936 | TIE | 7 | 7 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1937 | USC | 19 | 13 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1938 | USC | 42 | 7 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1939 | TIE | 0 | 0 | Coliseum
★
★ | First game with the Rose Bowl on the line for both teams. USC voted National Champions and into the Rose Bowl. |
| 1940 | USC | 28 | 12 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1941 | TIE | 7 | 7 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1942 | UCLA | 7 | 14 | Coliseum
★ | UCLA makes first appearance in Rose Bowl after first victory over USC; The Victory Bell becomes the trophy of the series. |
| 1943 | USC | 20 | 0 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1943 | USC | 26 | 13 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1944 | TIE | 13 | 13 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1944 | USC | 40 | 13 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1945 | USC | 13 | 6 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1945 | USC | 26 | 15 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1946 | UCLA | 6 | 13 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1947 | USC | 6 | 0 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1948 | USC | 20 | 13 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1949 | USC | 21 | 7 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1950 | UCLA | 0 | 39 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1951 | UCLA | 7 | 21 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1952 | USC | 14 | 12 | Coliseum
★
★ | Both teams unbeaten and untied. UCLA ranked #3 and USC ranked #4 |
| 1953 | UCLA | 0 | 13 | Coliseum
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1954 | UCLA | 0 | 34 | Coliseum
★
★ | Conference championship on the line for both teams, however UCLA could not go to the Rose Bowl because of PCC no-repeat rule. UCLA's first and only NCAA football championship. |
| 1955 | UCLA | 7 | 17 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1956 | USC | 10 | 7 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1957 | UCLA | 9 | 20 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1958 | TIE | 15 | 15 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1959 | UCLA | 3 | 10 | Coliseum
★ | Final outcome a tie for first in the PCC, USC banned from postseason bowls |
| 1960 | USC | 17 | 6 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1961 | UCLA | 7 | 10 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1962 | USC | 14 | 3 | Coliseum
★
★ | USC #1 and undefeated |
| 1963 | USC | 26 | 6 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1964 | USC | 34 | 13 | Coliseum
★
★ | USC and Oregon State tied for 1st and didn't play each other, OSU selected as AAWU representative for Rose Bowl due to better overall record |
| 1965 | UCLA | 16 | 20 | Coliseum
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams. UCLA went on the beat #1 Michigan State in the Rose Bowl, 14-12. |
| 1966 | UCLA | 7 | 14 | Coliseum
★
★ | It was thought before the game that the Rose Bowl was on the line for both teams. UCLA had a 3-1 record to the 4-1 conference record of USC, and USC was voted into the Rose Bowl despite UCLA's win. USC lost next week to Notre Dame, 51-0. |
| 1967 | USC | 21 | 20 | Coliseum
★ | The Game of the Century - Rose Bowl and #1 ranking on the line for both teams. |
| 1968 | USC | 28 | 16 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1969 | USC | 14 | 12 | Coliseum
★ | Both teams undefeated with one tie each on their records. Rose Bowl on the line for both teams. |
| 1970 | UCLA | 20 | 45 | Coliseum
★
★ | |
| 1971 | TIE | 7 | 7 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1972 | USC | 24 | 7 | Coliseum
★
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1973 | USC | 23 | 13 | Coliseum
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1974 | USC | 34 | 9 | Coliseum
★
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1975 | UCLA | 22 | 25 | Coliseum
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for UCLA. They went on to beat #1 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, 23-10. |
| 1976 | USC | 24 | 14 | Coliseum
★
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1977 | USC | 29 | 27 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1978 | USC | 17 | 10 | Coliseum
★
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1979 | USC | 49 | 14 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1980 | UCLA | 17 | 20 | Coliseum
★
★ | Neither team bowl eligible due to probation |
| 1981 | USC | 22 | 21 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1982 | UCLA | 19 | 20 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | |
| 1983 | UCLA | 17 | 27 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1984 | UCLA | 10 | 29 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | USC in the Rose Bowl already before the game |
| 1985 | USC | 17 | 13 | Coliseum
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for UCLA. UCLA goes to the Rose Bowl despite the loss when Arizona defeats Arizona State |
| 1986 | UCLA | 25 | 45 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | |
| 1987 | USC | 17 | 13 | Coliseum
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1988 | USC | 31 | 22 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1989 | TIE | 10 | 10 | Coliseum
★ | USC already in the Rose Bowl before the game, last tie in the series |
| 1990 | USC | 45 | 42 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | |
| 1991 | UCLA | 21 | 24 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1992 | UCLA | 37 | 38 | Rose Bowl
★
★
★
★ | |
| 1993 | UCLA | 21 | 27 | Coliseum
★ | Rose Bowl on the line for both teams |
| 1994 | UCLA | 19 | 31 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | Rose Bowl possibly on the line for USC. A USC win and Oregon loss to Oregon St. would have put the Trojans in the Rose Bowl. But USC lost and Oregon won. |
| 1995 | UCLA | 20 | 24 | Coliseum
★ | USC already had clinched Rose Bowl berth |
| 1996 | UCLA | 41 | 48(2OT) | Rose Bowl
★
★ | Only overtime game in the series. UCLA rallied from 17 point 4th quarter deficit |
| 1997 | UCLA | 24 | 31 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 1998 | UCLA | 17 | 34 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | UCLA had clinched at least a Rose Bowl berth and was ranked #1 in the BCS until a loss to Miami the next week. |
| 1999 | USC | 17 | 7 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 2000 | USC | 38 | 35 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | |
| 2001 | USC | 27 | 0 | Coliseum
★ | Pete Carroll's first game in rivalry |
| 2002 | USC | 52 | 21 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | |
| 2003 | USC | 47 | 22 | Coliseum
★ | |
| 2004 | USC | 29 | 24 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | BCS on line for USC |
| 2005 | USC | 66 | 19 | Coliseum
★ | BCS in Rose Bowl on the line for USC, tie for first in conference for UCLA |
| 2006 | UCLA | 9 | 13 | Rose Bowl
★
★ | BCS on the line for USC. USC's loss to unranked UCLA denies the Trojans a berth in the BCS Championship Game and instead sends them to the Rose Bowl Game. |
Notes:
★ USC home game,
★
★ UCLA home game, highlighted scores indicate school with Rose Bowl on the line.
Winning streaks in the series
USC had possessed the Victory Bell for the seven football seasons from 1999 to 2005. This was USC's longest football winning streak over UCLA, and was broken with the 2006 game. The USC streak followed directly after UCLA's longest football winning streak against USC (and the longest football winning streak in the series), when UCLA won eight straight games from 1991 to 1998.
Notable Games
★ In the
1929 season, UCLA would play football in the
Pacific Coast Conference for the first time. USC had just come off an undefeated National Championship season under the legendary
Howard Jones. In the opening game of the season, USC defeated UCLA 76-0, which stands as the most lopsided score of the series.
★
1952 season - UCLA was ranked #3 and USC was ranked #4. Both teams were undefeated and untied. USC would win on 14-12. USC would later go on to lose to Notre Dame but win the Rose Bowl.
★
1969 season - Undefeated #6 UCLA (8-0-1) met undefeated #5 USC (8-0-1) with the Rose Bowl on the line. USC would prevail with a score in the final two minutes to win 14-12.
★
1988 season - Undefeated second-ranked USC (9-0) and quarterback
Rodney Peete met 9-1, sixth-ranked UCLA and quarterback
Troy Aikman with the Rose Bowl on the line. UCLA had been ranked #1 before losing to Washington State. A possible Heisman trophy for Peete or Aikman was on the line. The attendance set a regular season Rose Bowl record of 100,741. Rodney Peete was stricken with measles the week before the game and had been to the hospital. But he managed to lead the Trojans over the Bruins 31-22. It would set up the classic #1 Notre Dame vs #2 USC matchup the following week. Peete and Aikman would finish 2nd and 3rd in the Heisman balloting behind
Barry Sanders.
★
1999 season - USC won to break the Bruin's streak of eight straight, partially due to the sounds of jet engines played over the Colisuem sound system when UCLA had the ball, a practice that was later outlawed by the Pac-10 due to its total lack of class.
★
2005 season - USC had been ranked #1 all season and faced a one-loss eleventh ranked UCLA (9-1) team as its last obstacle to the dream
2006 Rose Bowl BCS Championship matchup with #2 Texas. USC featured Heisman trophy winner
Matt Leinart and eventual winner
Reggie Bush. USC crushed UCLA 66-19 in one of the most lopsided games of the series since the first matchup in 1929.
★
2006 season - On December 2, 2006, UCLA, which finished the regular season with a record of 7-5 (5-4 Pac-10), pulled one of college football's biggest upsets for 2006 by defeating the Trojans 13-9. In doing so, the Bruins not only ended No. 2 ranked USC's 63-game streak of scoring 20-plus points per game, but also dashed the Trojans' hopes of playing No. 1 ranked Ohio State for the 2006 national championship.
The "Game of the Century" in 1967
Main articles: Game of the Century (college football),
1967 USC vs. UCLA football game
★
1967 season - One of the
Games of the Century , the
1967 USC vs. UCLA football game was one of the defining college football games of the 20th century. It matched No. 4 USC with
O.J. Simpson against No. 1 UCLA with
Gary Beban for the Conference Championship, National Championship, and
Heisman Trophy on the line for Beban or Simpson. USC won 21-20 and went on to defeat
Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and win the national championship. Beban won the Heisman Trophy, which Simpson would go on to win the following season.
Other notable sports rivalries between UCLA and USC
Because of the geographical proximity and conference affiliation, UCLA and USC compete in other NCAA sanctioned sports, such as Basketball, Track and Field, Volleyball, and Water Polo. UCLA and USC are #1 and #3 respectively in terms of the most NCAA championships won in Division I as of 2007.
[3] They have faced each other for the national title in several sports including
Men's Volleyball and Women's water polo. Although basketball and football tend to get the most attention, the rivalry between the two schools is intense in every sport.
Basketball
When
John Wooden became the coach, UCLA turned into a national basketball powerhouse. UCLA has won 11
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournaments and has dominated the conference. However, there have been some notable games in the rivalry.
★ The first official meeting between the two schools as they are now known took place in February 1928 after UCLA was invited to join the
Pacific Coast Conference. UCLA won two of a three game basketball series to inaugurate the basketball rivalry.
★ In the 1968-1969 season, USC took UCLA, led by
Lew Alcindor to two overtimes before losing 61-55 at the
Los Angeles Sports Arena. On the second game, one night later on March 8th, 1969, USC would finally defeat UCLA 46-44, marking the Bruins' first loss in
Pauley Pavilion.
★ In the 1970-1971 basketball season, UCLA and USC were ranked #1 and #2 for much of the season. #2 ranked USC coached by
Bob Boyd suffered its first loss against #3 ranked UCLA, blowing a 9 point second half lead. In the rematch in the final game of the season, UCLA jumped out to a big early lead and went on to win 72-63 USC would finish the season 24-2 and ranked #2, but because only conference champions went to the NCAA tournament, they stayed home.
★ In the 1973-74 basketball season, the two teams were tied for first in the Pac-10 going into the last game of the season. With the conference championship and berth in the NCAA tournament on the line, Bill Walton led UCLA to a lopsided victory.
★ In the 1984-1985 season, UCLA and USC would meet for the game that would decide first place in the Pacific 10. USC had already beat UCLA 78-77 in double overtime at the Sports Arena. The second game on February 28, 1985 was finally decided in quadruple overtime with USC winning 80-78. USC would be invited to the
1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, while UCLA was invited to and won the
National Invitation Tournament.
In Women's basketball, UCLA has one
AIAW championship and USC has two
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships. The Bruins and the Trojans have faced each other twice in the second round of the AIAW championships with UCLA winning in 1979 and USC winning in 1981.
Volleyball
UCLA has dominated men's volleyball under the coaching of
Al Scates and as of 2006 has won 19
NCAA Men's Volleyball Championships. USC has won six. UCLA and USC have faced each other in the championship game of the
NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship four times.
★ 1979 UCLA 3-1 USC
★ 1980 USC 3-1 UCLA
★ 1981 UCLA 3-2 USC
★ 1987 UCLA 3-0 USC
In women's volleyball, the schools are even in number of championships. USC and UCLA each have won three
NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships in Division I. In addition, USC and UCLA have won three
AIAW Women's volleyball championships.
In 1981 USC defeated UCLA three games to two in the first NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship game. In 1976 USC defeated UCLA to win the AIAW volleyball championship.
Tennis
As of the 2006 season, UCLA and USC have each won 16
NCAA Men's Tennis Championships including a run from 1960 to 1971 where either UCLA or USC was the champion.
Olympic Athletes
Both UCLA and USC send many athletes to the
Olympic Games during the
Olympiad. As of the last games, USC has 234 medals and UCLA has 213. As of the
2006 Winter Olympics, UCLA and USC athletes combined account for nearly one fifth of all medals won by the United States of America.
[4]
[5]
[6]
UCLA-USC rivalry outside sports competition
The UCLA-USC rivalry is like few other college or university rivalries. Both universities are in the same city. Both universities are at the top in the nation not only for their sports achievements, but also for academic standing, with UCLA consistently ranked higher in the latter. Graduates from both universities work together all across Southern California. It is not uncommon for married couples or family members to consist of graduates from each school. Undergraduates of one school can be found attending graduate school and/or professional school across town. High schools in Southern California send some of their top graduates to both schools every year, as do
community colleges around Los Angeles. Students from each school, including athletes, even can be found rooming together in the same house or apartment in Los Angeles.
The rivalry is also a microcosm of a
geopolitical rivalry based upon the locations of the schools, the cost of attending each school, and the founding and growth patterns of the schools.
Geographic location
USC is located on the Southern fringe of downtown Los Angeles by
Exposition Park. In the early years of the city, it was a fashionable area, but it began to be rundown as wealthier residents migrated towards other suburban neighborhoods, following the national trend. USC was an isolated enclave for a number of years and the surrounding neighborhood had a bad reputation. Lately, with newer downtown construction, the area is becoming connected with downtown again. Most of the major LA area public sports facilities are located near campus, including the Los Angeles Coliseum and
Staples Center.
UCLA is located on the West side of Los Angeles and is nestled between many affluent suburban communities:
Brentwood,
Bel-Air,
Beverly Hills and
Westwood. With continuing growth in the area around campus, UCLA is no longer suburban.
Funding
The University of California is a
public school, while the University of Southern California is a
private school. The tuition for a California resident at UCLA has run significantly less than tuition for USC. However, out of state residents may pay nearly the same amount in tuition at either UCLA or USC. An academic or athletic scholarship from either school can render the funding difference to be negligible.
Founding
USC was established in 1880 and what would become UCLA, the
California State Normal School in 1881. UCLA is seen as the "newer, younger" school, since it did not move to its current location until 1927 when it was renamed the University of California at Los Angeles. USC had been playing football since 1888 and joined the Pacific Coast Conference in 1922. UCLA did not start playing football until 1919 and joined the PCC in 1928.
UCLA-USC rivalry in popular culture
★ On the
Jack Benny NBC radio program from November 26, 1950 (the Sunday after that season's UCLA - USC game), the episode was about Jack trying to go to the game with
Mary Livingstone and
Dennis Day.
[1] Jack also had the USC and UCLA coaches as guests on his television show.
★ In a 2005
ESPN commercial, a man wearing a UCLA sweatshirt opens his door on
Halloween to find a young
Trick-or-treater dressed in a Trojan outfit. He closes his door in disgust without handing out any candy. (The commercial's comedy lies in the fact that UCLA and USC fans retain a lifetime rivalry with each other, while still living side-by-side.)
★ In a 2006 episode of
The New Adventures of Old Christine, Old Christine's ex husband, Richard, takes their son Richie to the UCLA-USC game at the Coliseum.
Other rivalries
Because of their dominance of their respective sports, other schools in the Pacific 10 conference regard a basketball game with UCLA or a football game with USC as one of their top games of the year, no matter what the current standings.
USC also has a football-only rivalry with the
University of Notre Dame, which many Trojan fans regard as a greater football rivalry. This predates the UCLA-USC rivalry by three years. Although a conference championship is never at stake, both schools have the college football national championship as their ultimate goal. And the game is usually used as a measuring stick to compare not just those two programs, but also the relative performance of many of the top teams in college football. In the
Notre Dame-USC rivalry, the schools play for the
Jeweled Shillelagh. USC radio broadcaster
Pete Arbogast coined the phrase "perfect day" to describe a college football Saturday in which when UCLA and Notre Dame lose, and USC wins.
UCLA had a basketball rivalry with Notre Dame while
Digger Phelps was the Notre Dame coach. UCLA and Notre dame played a home-and-home meeting for several seasons, which is otherwise uncommon outside conference play. This rivalry existed from the desire of the Notre Dame athletic department to schedule the top schools for intersectional competition. In recent years, UCLA has also played Notre Dame in non-conference play, and for many Bruins fans this competition joins in on the UCLA-USC rivalry, with a victory over Notre Dame as a slap against USC.
UCLA and USC both have rivalries with the
Bay Area Pacific 10 schools, the
University of California, Berkeley and
Stanford University. These rivalries extend to all sports within the conference, and stem from the Northern vs Southern
California dynamic. There also exists the commonality of UCLA and Cal as public institutions (widely considered to be the two most prestigious universities of the highly-regarded
UC system) against Stanford and USC as private institutions. Also, due to their positions as the most prestigious in the University of California system, there is also rivalry between UCLA and Cal. Stanford and USC are also long-time rivals as the most prestigious private universities in California.
See also
★
UCLA Bruins athletics
★
USC Trojans athletics
★
1967 USC vs. UCLA football game
★
Game of the Century (college football)
★
Victory Bell (USC-UCLA)
★
Lexus Gauntlet
★ White, Lonnie. (August 2004). ''UCLA vs. USC: 75 Years of the Greatest Rivalry in Sports'': Los Angeles Times Books. (ISBN 1-883792-27-4)
Other Pacific Ten Conference football rivalries
★
Apple Cup - Trophy for the Washington / Washington State football game
★
Civil War - Oregon / Oregon State football game
★
Big Game - Stanford / California football game
★
Territorial Cup - Trophy for the Arizona / Arizona State football game
Notes
1. USC Office of Campus Activities - CONQUEST! The Ultimate Trojan Experience
2. NCAA Football rules 2006 (PDF)
3. NCAA schools with the most championships, NCAA
4. USC Olympians from the USC official Athletic site (PDF)
5. UCLA Olympic medalists from the UCLA official athletic site
6. Olympic medals by country (Olympic.it)
External links
★
Offical UCLA athletics site
★
Offical USC athletics site
★
The Lexus Gauntlet
Articles
★ ''
The Start of Something Big: USC vs. UCLA'' by Lonnie White, marking 75 years of the UCLA-USC rivalry
★ ''
Crosstown Rivals'' by Justin Clark,
LA Weekly.
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