The USC vs. UCLA Football Rivalry: A History of Gridiron Battles

The annual football game between the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins is more than just a contest; it's a deeply ingrained tradition fueled by intense rivalry, shared history, and the pursuit of gridiron glory. This article will explore the rich history of this crosstown clash, examining its evolution, key moments, and the traditions that make it one of college football's most compelling rivalries.

A Shared Conference History

USC and UCLA have been intertwined in the same athletic conference since 1928, when UCLA joined USC in the Pacific Coast Conference, a predecessor of the Pac-12 Conference. USC had joined the PCC in 1922. When the PCC broke up after the 1958-1959 season, USC and UCLA were charter members of the newly formed Athletic Association of Western Universities. The AAWU, with expansion, would become the Pac-8, Pac-10, and then the Pac-12 Conference.

More Than Just Football

While the football game often takes center stage, the rivalry between USC and UCLA extends beyond the gridiron. Both schools are successful in many "non-revenue" or "Olympic" sports. Both have had success in track and field, water polo, tennis, volleyball, and golf. As of 2023, USC has won 26 NCAA championships in men's outdoor track and field, 21 in men's tennis, and 12 in baseball, the most of any school in each respective sport. Likewise, UCLA has won 20 NCAA championships in men's volleyball and 12 in softball, also the most of any school in those sports. As of June 2024, UCLA ranked second overall and USC ranked third overall in NCAA team championships behind Stanford.

The Crosstown Cup, formerly the Lexus Gauntlet, the Crosstown Gauntlet, and the SoCal BMW Crosstown Cup, is the name given to a competition between UCLA and USC in the 19 NCAA-sanctioned varsity sports in which both compete. (Although slightly different scoring rules were in effect in the different versions of the competition.) In 2003, 2005, and 2007 UCLA won the Lexus Gauntlet Trophy, while USC won the trophy in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2009 (the first back-to-back win). After the 2009 season, Lexus stopped sponsoring the award. The competition was renamed the Crosstown Gauntlet, which USC won in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014, and UCLA won in 2013. In 2015, due to new sponsorship, the competition became the SoCal BMW Crosstown Cup. It was won by UCLA in 2015 and USC in 2016, when the sponsorship arrangement concluded. The competition has since been known simply as the Crosstown Cup.

High Stakes on the Gridiron

Quite often, the winner of the football game has won or shared the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) title in football. A berth in the Rose Bowl game has been on the line many times as well for both schools. Since the 1916 formation of the Pacific Coast Conference, which the Pac-12 claims as part of its history, USC had won or shared 37 conference titles and UCLA had won or shared 17 titles. Washington is second in overall conference titles with 18. Since the 1959 season, when the Pac-12 was formed as the Athletic Association of Western Universities, through the 2007 season, the schools had won or shared 33 of the 48 conference titles. USC won 17 championships outright, shared eight and gone to the Rose Bowl or BCS bowl 21 times. UCLA won six championships outright, shared five and gone to the Rose Bowl eight times. The schools have thrice shared the championship. In 2011, UCLA became the first Pac-12 South Division champion - while USC held the better of the two records, the Trojans were ineligible for postseason play that year due to NCAA sanctions.

Early Years and Rise to Prominence

USC began a rise to national prominence under Howard Jones in 1925. The Trojans began a major rivalry with Notre Dame in 1926. 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 and won their first and only National Championship in 1954. Sanders died suddenly of a heart attack before the 1959 season. In 1960 John McKay, the winningest coach is USC football history, took over the struggling USC program. Upon the arrival of McKay, USC entered a new golden age in its storied history. During McKay's tenure, the Trojans won 8 conference titles, 5 Rose Bowls, produced two Heisman Trophy winners (Mike Garrett and O. J. Simpson) and won three national championships (1962, 1967, and 1972) and shared one (1974). Against UCLA, McKay was tough to beat, posting a 10-5-1 record against the Bruins between 1960 and 1975.

Dominance and Close Contests

For most seasons from the mid-1960s to the end of the 1970s, the two schools were the top powers on the West Coast with USC usually holding the top spot. 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. The Bruins' unbeaten string ended in 1999 when the Trojans began their longest win streak, 7, against the Bruins, though two of those wins (2004 and 2005) are now vacated, cutting the USC streak to five. Pete Carroll was hired by USC in December 2000. During Carroll's tenure (2001-2009 seasons), USC was virtually unbeatable against its two most heated rivals, UCLA and Notre Dame.

Game Day Traditions and Titles

A number of titles have been applied to the football game such as: "The Los Angeles City Championship", "The Crosstown Showdown", "The Battle of L.A. or Los Angeles", or simply the "crosstown rivalry". None have become the singular name for the game. At UCLA, the week before the game is known as "Beat 'SC Week" (officially dubbed "Blue and Gold Week"). Both schools host a number of activities on their respective campuses during the week to promote school spirit. Also, both schools take steps to prevent vandalism of two major landmarks on campus: USC wraps its Trojan Shrine (better known as "Tommy Trojan") in bubble wrap and duct tape, while UCLA covers its Bruin Bear statue with tarp stating "THE BRUIN BEAR IS HIBERNATING. BEAT 'SC.", and more recently a $5000 wooden puzzle box. Groups of UCLA students known as "Bruin Bear Security Force" also camp out in Bruin Plaza, ostensibly to protect the Bruin Bear in the event of a prank, while the USC Trojan Knights hold a week-long vigil guarding Tommy Trojan with the sign "Don't Bruin your life".

Beyond the Varsity Game

The football rivalry extends to other areas of campus life, fostering a spirit of competition and camaraderie:

ROTC "Blood Bowl": The Naval and Army 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. After a 25-12 victory on December 3, 2010, by the Army Battalion, UCLA continues to lead the series all time versus USC 15-11.
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".
The Band Bowl: From the 1950s until 2000 the UCLA Marching Band and the USC Marching Band played in a flag football contest called the "Band Bowl".
UCLA vs. USC Men's Ice Hockey: UCLA and USC have teams that compete in ACHA Division II club-level Ice hockey.
UCLA vs. USC Men's Rugby: UCLA and USC compete every year on the day after the football game.
We Run the City 5K: A 5 km rivalry run held the Sunday before the football game that benefits Special Olympics Southern California. Runners pledge their allegiance to their team upon registration. Registration is open to all fans, students, alumni, staff, and the community.
Starting with the 2008 season, the winners of a blood drive competition were announced during halftime, with the winners donating more blood to the American Red Cross.

Stadium History and Jersey Traditions

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 home fans on the north side of the Coliseum and visiting fans on the south (press box) side. Until the 1983 meeting where the visiting UCLA team wore their white jerseys, players on both teams wore their home football jerseys for the game. An NCAA rule change for the 1983 season required the visiting team specifically to wear white jerseys. Beginning in the 1984 season, when the game was played at the Rose Bowl for the second time, the visiting fans moved to the end-zone visitor sections of each respective stadium. Starting in 2006, the coaches at the time, USC coach Pete Carroll and UCLA coach Karl Dorrell, expressed an interest in restarting the tradition of both teams wearing primary colored home jerseys. At the time, the NCAA football rules Article 3. a. stated, "Players of opposing teams shall wear jerseys of contrasting colors, and the visiting team shall wear white jerseys." USC coach Pete Carroll said he would be willing to lose two timeouts during the game so that the USC team could wear their cardinal jerseys for the UCLA-USC football game on December 6, 2008. It was determined before the 2008 game that the visiting school would only lose one timeout for incorrect equipment.

Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA

The Victory Bell

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 UCLA's symbol of victory until it was stolen by a USC organization called the Trojan Knights in 1941. The bell itself is brass, and the metal mounting around it is painted blue or cardinal by the school that won the football game and earned its possession. When UCLA possesses it, the UCLA Rally Committee is responsible for its protection and care. While it is in USC's possession, the Trojan Knights are responsible for hiding, protecting, and showcasing the bell (including ringing the bell during home football games).

Rose Bowl and Conference Implications

Until the Rose Bowl Game became part of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and later the College Football Playoff (CFP), a berth in the Rose Bowl to face the Big Ten Conference champion was the ultimate goal that was awarded to the then-Pacific-10 conference champion. Through the 2016 season, USC has appeared in the Rose Bowl 34 times and UCLA has appeared 12 times. During the BCS era (1998-2013), the Rose Bowl was the destination for the first-place Big Ten and Pac-12 teams, should either fail to qualify for the BCS championship game. 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 six BCS bowl games, winning the BCS championship in 2005.

Before the Pac-10 expanded in 2011 and became the Pac-12, the Rose Bowl and conference championship were on the line for both teams 20 times and at least one team 37 times. Following expansion and the division of the conference into two football divisions, with UCLA and USC both in the South Division, the division title and a berth in the Pac-12 Championship Game have been on the line for at least one team twice.

Series Record

As of the end of the 2025 college football season, USC leads 53-34-7 (record excludes two vacated USC wins due to NCAA penalty for violation of NCAA rules). There has been one overtime game in the series in 1996. Many of the games of this rivalry have ultimately determined the Pac-10 Rose Bowl representative and often a chance for USC to play for the national championship.

Recent Matchup: USC vs. UCLA (2025)

The No. 20 USC Trojans (8-3) meet a fellow Big Ten opponent when they host the UCLA Bruins (3-8) on Saturday, November 29, 2025 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Trojans enter this matchup after a 42-27 loss to the Oregon Ducks in their most recent outing. The Bruins are coming off of a 48-14 loss to the Washington Huskies.

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In that matchup with the Ducks, Jayden Maiava had 306 yards on 25-of-43 passing (58.1%) for the Trojans, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. King Miller took 15 carries for 30 yards (2.0 yards per carry), while adding three receptions for 10 yards in the passing game. Tanook Hines hauled in six receptions for 141 yards (averaging 23.5 per catch), while scoring one touchdown against the Ducks.

Luke Duncan notched 81 passing yards while going 5-for-11 with one touchdown and no interceptions for the Bruins against the Huskies. In that matchup, Jalen Berger had a six-carry, 26-yard game (4.3 yards per attempt). He also added two receptions for six yards . Mikey Matthews recorded six catches for 38 yards (on seven targets), with one touchdown.

The Trojans are 21.5-point favorites against the Bruins. The total is set at 58.5 points.

Betting Odds and Splits (2025)

Spread favorite: USC (-21.5)
Moneyline: USC (-1887), UCLA (+995)
Total: 58.5 points

USC Betting Splits:

USC's record against the spread is 5-6-0.
USC has yet to lose ATS (2-0) as a 21.5-point favorite or greater this year.
This season, six of USC's 11 games have go over the point total.

UCLA Betting Splits:

UCLA's record against the spread in 2025 is 3-8-0.
UCLA has won once ATS (1-2) as a 21.5-point underdog or greater this season.
There have been six UCLA games (out of 11) that went over the total this year.

Statistical Leaders (2025)

USC Leaders:

Jayden Maiava: 3,174 PASS YDS / 288.5 YPG / 65.7% / 21 TD / 8 INT / 47 CAR / 140 RUSH YDS / 6 TD
King Miller: 114 CAR / 749 YDS / 83.2 YPG / 5 TD / 11 REC / 54 YDS / 7.7 YPG / 0 TD
Waymond Jordan: 88 CAR / 576 YDS / 96 YPG / 5 TD / 7 REC / 55 YDS / 9.2 YPG / 0 TD
Makai Lemon: 78 REC / 1,124 YDS / 102.2 YPG / 10 TD
Ja'Kobi Lane: 46 REC / 693 YDS / 69.3 YPG / 4 TD
Lake McRee: 27 REC / 420 YDS / 38.2 YPG / 3 TD
Braylan Shelby: 13 TKL / 4 TFL / 3.5 SACK / 1 INT / 1 PD
Eric Gentry: 41 TKL / 4 TFL / 3 SACK
Bishop Fitzgerald: 31 TKL / 2 TFL / 1 SACK / 5 INT / 5 PD

UCLA Leaders:

Nico Iamaleava: 1,728 PASS YDS / 157.1 YPG / 63.5% / 12 TD / 7 INT / 101 CAR / 490 RUSH YDS / 4 TD
Jalen Berger: 74 CAR / 307 YDS / 27.9 YPG / 2 TD / 10 REC / 70 YDS / 11.7 YPG / 2 TD
Kwazi Gilmer: 40 REC / 462 YDS / 42 YPG / 3 TD
Mikey Matthews: 29 REC / 310 YDS / 31 YPG / 2 TD
Titus Mokiao-Atimalala: 21 REC / 275 YDS / 25 YPG / 3 TD
Jalen Woods: 41 TKL / 4 TFL / 1.5 SACK
JonJon Vaughns: 89 TKL / 4 TFL
Scooter Jackson: 39 TKL / 1 TFL / 2 INT / 2 PD

Game Information (2025)

Location: Los Angeles, California
Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV channel: NBC
Live stream: FuboTV, Peacock

Predictions (2025)

ESPN FPI: USC a 95.0% chance to win.
Betting Model: Implied score of Trojans 40, Bruins 18.
Pick ATS: USC (-21.5)
Pick OU: Under (58.5)

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