UCLA Bruins: A Legacy of Blue and Gold

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a world-renowned institution for higher learning, research, and innovation, boasts a rich history and time-honored traditions. From its humble beginnings as the Southern Branch of the University of California to its current status as a leading global university, UCLA has cultivated a unique identity steeped in Bruin pride. This article explores the evolution of UCLA's mascots, colors, logos, athletic achievements, and traditions, showcasing the enduring spirit of the blue and gold.

From Rags to Bruins: The Evolution of a Mascot

When UCLA was initially founded in 1919 as the Southern Branch of the University of California, a scraggly stray dog named Rags served as the unofficial mascot. However, as the Southern Branch evolved into the second campus in the University of California system, Rags seemed more of a campus pet than an institutional fixture.

In the early days, UCLA's athletic teams were known as the "Cubs," a nod to the school's younger relationship with the California Bears in Berkeley. This association felt like a natural progression from UC Berkeley’s Golden Bears, and students carried teddy bears adorned with blue and gold ribbons. A live bear was even brought to campus as part of the celebration when the Cubs basketball team won the 1922 conference championship.

The Grizzly Interlude

Looking to shed its roots as the Southern Branch and distinguish itself from UC Berkeley, UCLA chose the grizzly bear as its new representative. While students and faculty welcomed the "Grizzlies" with open arms, the mascot fell flat when UCLA looked to join the Pacific Coast Conference (now the Pac-12) in 1926. The University of Montana, an established member of the conference, already held a claim to the grizzly as mascot and was not willing to share it with its southern neighbors.

The Birth of the Bruins

Faced with the challenge of finding a new mascot, students considered everything from buccaneers to gorillas to panthers. However, every option lacked the familiar ursine charm that UCLA fanatics had grown to love. Students countered every potential mascot with a new kind of bear, offering Kodiaks, Silvertips, Bezudos, and Bruins as possible monikers, though UC Berkeley had been using “Bruin” alternately with “Bears” for decades. After weeks of heated debate, Berkeley leaders offered their sister campus the Bruins. UCLA took the new symbol in stride.

Joe and Josie Bruin: Embodiments of Bruin Spirit

In the 1930s, football games saw live bears, rented from Hollywood studios, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. When the Coliseum eventually banned live bears, students and alumni decided to take matters into their own hands. In 1950, UCLA purchased Little Joe Bruin, a Himalayan bear cub from India; in 1961, alumni purchased Josephine Bruin to accompany Little Joe. Alas, bear-keeping turned out to be a bit more work than anyone had anticipated, and both Joe and Josie eventually headed to the San Diego Zoo and the circus, respectively. Today, the Joe and Josie Bruin who cavort along at games and rallies are just as furry as their predecessors, though not quite as deadly. Students cloaked in anonymity carry UCLA’s lengthy mascot past - and an eight-pound head - on their shoulders.

Since its adoption in 1926, the Bruin mascot has represented countless degrees, championships, accomplishments, and stories. As UCLA approaches 100 years of Bruin pride, the legacy of Westwood’s faithful mascot continues to represent the many students, alumni, faculty, and staff who have called UCLA home - a true Rags-to-riches story.

The Colors of Westwood: Blue and Gold

For all the words in the English dictionary, nothing speaks louder than colors. UCLA’s official colors are gold 123 and blue 285, which is colloquially referred to as air force blue, strong blue or true blue. Like those of the University of California, UCLA’s colors are blue and gold. The university’s colors were chosen to represent the state’s various attributes: Blue to symbolize the ocean, and local wildflowers. Yellow to reflect the Golden State, the California poppy and sunsets. Of course, the shades have changed over the years.

While it is important to have a wide range of styles available for purchase, brand diversity should not carry over into areas where the goal is a collective identity. This extends beyond just UCLA football and basketball games. Any UCLA clothing sponsored or distributed by the university, such as Den shirts or Volunteer Day shirts, should be in strong blue as well. Associated Students UCLA should also encourage students to purchase strong blue by dedicating a section of the store to apparel in this color. These schools fill their campuses and stadiums with one solid color, which creates a strong brand identity.

The mystery of the varying blues lies in the fact that strong blue has only been our official shade since 2004. Our football jerseys began in the 1930s as a darker blue as a result of our relationship with the UC Berkeley.

Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA

Branding the Bruins: A Look at UCLA's Logos

UCLA’s logo is one of the most recognizable not just in collegiate athletics here at home in the United States, but also around the world. The logo is uniquely UCLA in its script and in its powder blue and gold colors; seeing it makes any Bruin appreciate the history and success behind it.

In 1964, UCLA debuted the “UCLA” cursive script, which became so popular that the university used it in this form until 1995. UCLA’s mascot, Joe Bruin makes an appearance in 1964 on the secondary logo, reminding us that UCLA is not just an athletics powerhouse, but that sports are fun. Who doesn’t like an image of a happy Joe Bruin leaning on the wordmark?

In need of a great secondary logo, UCLA kept it simple but memorable with the debut of the “B” logo. This logo featured the powder blue and gold of UCLA’s colors, and is used to this day. It’s memorable, much like a similar logo used for several decades by the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.

1996 saw the return of Joe Bruin in a more modern form. College athletics programs and professional sports teams updated their logos throughout the 1990s to look more “cartooney” and modernize the look of their age-old mascots. Even the UCLA Bruins wordmark looked more animated than before, in this popular logo of the time.

Why change a good thing? That’s especially true for UCLA if it was using a great cursive script logo for decades. So, it essentially did not.

Read also: Understanding UCLA Counselors

A Tradition of Athletic Excellence

The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Big Ten Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I (formerly Division I-A).

Upon its founding, UCLA joined the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). Following "pay-for-play" scandals at California, USC, UCLA, and Washington, the PCC disbanded in June 1959. On July 1, 1959, the new Athletic Association of Western Universities was launched, with California, UCLA, USC, and Washington as the four charter members. The conference renamed itself the Pacific-8 Conference in 1968, then the Pacific-10 Conference in 1978, and the Pac-12 in 2011. As of May 12, 2024, UCLA has won 124 NCAA team championships, second to Stanford's 135.

Basketball

Several of the most revered championships were won by the Men's Basketball team under coaches John Wooden and Jim Harrick. The rich legacy of UCLA basketball has produced 11 NCAA championships - 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1995. From 1971 to 1974, UCLA won 88 consecutive men's basketball games, an NCAA record for men. Past rosters of UCLA basketball teams have included greats such as Rafer Johnson who was the 1960 Olympic Decathlon Champion, Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), Bill Walton, Reggie Miller and Walt Hazzard. In recent years, UCLA Men's Basketball was returned to prominence under Coach Ben Howland.

In the 1977-78 season, the women's basketball team, with a 27-2 record, were the AIAW Champions under head coach Billie Moore. The 2014-15 team won the 2015 WNIT championship by defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers 62-60 on April 4, 2015.

Football

In 1954, the UCLA football team earned a share of the national title with a 9-0 record and a #1 ranking in the Coaches UPI football poll, while Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll. The Bruins have played in the Rose Bowl Game 12 times, winning 5 of them. The Bruins have won or shared the conference title 17 times. Among the many former UCLA football stars are Jackie Robinson, Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban, Bob Waterfield, Troy Aikman, Carnell Lake, and Tommy Maddox. A notable player and alumnus of the UCLA football team is current NCIS star, actor Mark Harmon. The current head coach is DeShaun Foster.

Golf

The UCLA Bruins men's golf team has won two NCAA Championships, in 1988 and 2008. In the 2008 national championship, the team was led by senior Kevin Chappell, who won the respective individual title. The women's team won the national championship in 1971 (DGWS), 1991, 2004 and 2011.

Gymnastics

The women's gymnastics team has won seven NCAA Women's Gymnastics championships under head coach Valorie Kondos Field, including championships in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2018.

Rugby

James Schaeffer introduced the original team in 1934, which was eventually revived post-WWII through Norm Padgett and his tireless hustling and fraternity walks. Over its history, 19 UCLA students have gone on to represent the USA Rugby Men's National Team with Coach Dennis Storer being the first ever coach of the team.

Soccer

Since the beginning of the men's soccer tournament in 1959, UCLA has won national championship in 1985, 1990, 1997, and 2002; and finished second in 1970, 1972, 1973, and 2006. The men's soccer team won the 2008 Pacific-10 Conference championship and received the conference's automatic bid in the NCAA national championship Tournament, their 26 consecutive appearances. The women's soccer team has won the Pac-10 championships eight times since beginning play in 1993.

Softball

The Bruins have been 13-time NCAA champions, including the first one in 1982. They won the World Series in 1978, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010 and 2019.

Tennis

The only school to have competed in every NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament, the team has won 16 national championships and 37 Pac-12 conference titles. The 1950 men's tennis team won UCLA's first-ever NCAA Championship. The women's team, which won national championships in 1981 (AIAW), 2008 and 2014, is coached by Stella Sampras.

Track and Field

When Meb Keflezighi was running for UCLA, he won four NCAA championships in one year, including the cross-country title, the 10,000 meters outdoors and the 5,000 meters indoors and outdoors titles in track.

Volleyball

The UCLA men's team won 21 NCAA titles, 19 under Al Scates, who coached the Bruins for 48 years. The women's team has captured 8 of the championships since it became an NCAA sponsored event.

Water Polo

Four UCLA water polo alumni and former coach Guy Baker were members of the USA women's and men's teams participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On December 6, 2015, the men's team once again defeated USC, 10-7, to win back-to-back NCAA championships and finish with a perfect season at 30-0 on the UCLA campus.

Other Sports

The men's and women's boxing teams have competed as part of the National Collegiate Boxing Association since 2016, after switching from the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association. Before the school was even called 'UCLA', the ice hockey program was formed, joining several other local teams including USC and Occidental. The beach volleyball team won its first national title on May 6, 2018, by defeating Hawaii and Florida State at Gulf Beach Place, Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Enduring Traditions

From UCLA’s earliest rituals to its most recent ones, students, alumni and friends have been honoring and contributing to Bruin traditions. Some UCLA traditions can be traced to the early 1920s, when the campus was known as the Southern Branch of the University of California.

The Victory Bell

In 1941, one particular incident greatly contributed to the rivalry. After a Washington State game at the Coliseum, some USC students stole the keys to the truck used to transport UCLA’s 295-pound Victory Bell and drove off. The bell - originally belonging to a Southern Pacific Railroad engine - had been presented to UCLA by the Alumni Association. These days, students try to go after their rival schools’ mascot statues. During the week before the big game, the Bruin in Westwood Plaza is covered in heavy tarp with a sign reading, “The Bruin Bear is hibernating.” Across town, the Tommy Trojan statue is also kept under wraps.

Spring Sing

Spring Sing got its start nearly 70 years ago as fraternities competed for the title of “Champion Serenaders of Sorority Row.” As its popularity grew, William C. Ackerman, ASUCLA director, arranged for the competition to be held in Royce Hall in 1944.

Light Stunts

In the 1930s, light stunts were the trademark of the UCLA rooting section. They originated in 1935, when the football team played some of its games at night. The rooting section was wired and each student given four light bulbs, each of a different color.

Mardi Gras

For decades UCLA’s largest student-run activity, Mardi Gras had its roots in a 1943 “Carnival” held in the women’s gym that featured jigs and reels with Elizabethan costumes. What is known is that an event called “Mardi Gras” was held on campus in 1945, furthering the festival spirit of the 1943 social.

The Eight Clap

The “Eight Clap.” This is UCLA’s signature hand clap that every past and present Bruin knows how to do - to show their love and support for UCLA.

Midnight Yell

Students at UCLA participate in “Midnight Yell” during finals week. They do just that - yell at midnight - as a break from studying.

Fun Facts About UCLA

UCLA was founded in 1919. that was started in the 20th century.
UCLA receives the most college applications than any university in the world. Each year, it sets a new record.
The Internet started at UCLA in 1969. The first Internet transmission was sent from UCLA to Stanford University.
During rivalry week in 1993, a group of students covered parts of the Hollywood Sign to make it read “Go Bruins,” as an example of how big the crosstown rivalry is between UCLA and USC.
The top five most popular undergraduate majors at UCLA are: biology, business economics, political science, psychology and psychobiology.
The UCLA campus wasn’t always located in Westwood Village. In fact, it was located at the current site of Los Angeles City College in Hollywood. UCLA moved to Westwood in 1929, beating out other cities like Burbank who tried to woo the university.
The original four buildings on the Westwood Campus were Royce Hall, College Library (now called Powell Library), Physics-Biology Building (now Humanities), and Chemistry Building (now Haines Hall). This area is known as the “Royce Quad” or “Main Quad” by students.
Ray Bradbury wrote his classic novel Fahrenheit 451 at Powell Library in 1951. He was looking for a quiet space outside of his home and took a liking to the Powell Library basement.
UCLA is one of the smallest UC campuses (2nd smallest), because of its location in a dense part of a big town. UCLA is only 419 acres and just 10% of the size of the largest UC campus, UC Davis (5,300 acres).
The road that spans Dickson Plaza is actually a bridge. Even though the ravine it spanned was eventually filled in with soil, to this day, it is still classified as a bridge structure. There’s even a “Bridge” sign located next to it.
UCLA’s award-winning newspaper, the Daily Bruin, is the third most circulated newspaper in Los Angeles. It has been consistently ranked as the top college newspaper in the country.

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