The Storied Rivalry: USC vs. UCLA Football History

The USC (University of Southern California) Trojans and UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Bruins football rivalry stands as one of the most captivating and deeply personal in college sports. This intense crosstown clash transcends the game itself, embodying a year-round competition that permeates the very fabric of Los Angeles. With both universities now competing in the Big Ten Conference, the rivalry is set to gain even more national attention.

A City Divided: The Essence of the Rivalry

What makes the USC-UCLA rivalry so unique? It is the only major rivalry where the two sides share a city. Every neighborhood in Los Angeles features homes where the USC-UCLA divide plays out within families - Husband vs. Wife, Father vs. Son, or Brother vs. Sister. This proximity fuels the intensity, making every game a matter of local pride and bragging rights.

This deeply personal aspect of the rivalry inspired the documentary film, "A City Divided." GameChange co-founders Paul McDonald, a former USC All-American and NFL quarterback, and Jack Baric, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, collaborated to create this film, capturing the essence of the rivalry.

In the spirit of uniting the rivals for a common cause, McDonald and Baric partnered with Kure It, a non-profit dedicated to cancer research, to establish Rivals United for a Kure. This campaign raised funds for cancer research hospitals at both UCLA and USC. US Storage, Hoeven’s company, sponsored the making of the film, which was broadcast on Fox Sports. A red-carpet premiere gala for the film at LA Live launched the fundraising campaign and became an annual Game Week gala for several years. The story of the film and charity campaign's inception is recounted at the end of "A City Divided" by McDonald and Matt Stevens, a former UCLA quarterback and cancer survivor.

By the Numbers: A Historical Overview

The first USC UCLA rivalry football game was played in 1929. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Bruins have won 34 games, lost 53 games and tied seven games with the USC Trojans. The 2025 USC UCLA football game is scheduled for Nov. 29 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

After 94 games, USC holds the lead in the series with 51 wins to UCLA's 34, with seven games ending in ties. However, two USC victories (2004 and 2005) have been vacated. UCLA holds the distinction of the longest winning streak in the rivalry, securing eight consecutive victories from 1991 to 1998.

The largest score difference in the rivalry occurred in the inaugural game in 1929, with USC defeating UCLA 76-0. The following year saw the second-largest gap, another USC victory at 52-0. In 2011, the third-largest gap occurred, with USC winning 50-0.

Memorable Moments and Turning Points

The rivalry has produced countless memorable moments and turning points that have shaped college football history.

1988: A Season of High Hopes and Disappointments

September 1988 was a promising month for football in Los Angeles, with the Lakers fresh off an NBA title and the Dodgers on their way to a World Series victory. USC and UCLA entered the season with high expectations, led by highly regarded senior quarterbacks Rodney Peete for USC and Troy Aikman for UCLA. Both teams faced significant non-conference challenges against Oklahoma and Nebraska, respectively, each a perennial national title contender.

UCLA's dominance was particularly striking, as Aikman's offense scored 28 points against Nebraska before the first quarter ended. The Bruins rose to #1 in the polls, but a surprise loss to Washington State derailed their national title aspirations. USC also seemed poised for a championship run as they approached their final two games of the season.

While Aikman would later achieve considerable success against Peete in the NFL, November 19, 1988, belonged to USC. Although Aikman played well, Peete benefited from a strong running game led by Aaron Emanuel. UCLA settled for field goals on three drives, while USC converted three drives into touchdowns.

USC's hopes were dashed when Peete threw an interception that was returned for a 64-yard touchdown. The Rose Bowl brought similar disappointment, as a halftime lead vanished against a dominant Michigan offensive line. Michigan secured a late victory on a fourth-and-goal play from the one-yard line, with Leroy Hoard powering his way into the end zone. UCLA concluded their season on a positive note with a 17-3 Cotton Bowl victory over Arkansas, led by Aikman's mistake-free performance.

The Victory Bell: A Symbol of Triumph

The Victory Bell is the coveted trophy awarded to the winner of the UCLA-USC football rivalry game. This 295-pound brass bell originally adorned a Southern Pacific railroad locomotive. In 1939, the UCLA Alumni Association gifted the bell to the student body. Initially, UCLA cheerleaders rang the bell after each Bruin score.

However, in 1941, six members of USC's Trojan Knights infiltrated UCLA's rooting section and absconded with the bell. The bell remained hidden for over a year, leading to increased tension and pranks between the two schools.

The first victory for UCLA in the series occurred after the agreement over the Victory Bell, making the Bruins the first winner of the trophy.

Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA

When UCLA possesses the bell, it is sandblasted and painted "True Blue" and safeguarded by the UCLA Rally Committee. During UCLA home games and whenever UCLA faces USC at the L.A. Coliseum, the bell resides on the field in front of the student section and is rung by members of the Rally Committee after each score. The Bruins also swing the whole bell, as opposed to the Trojan style of attaching a rope to the tongue or clapper on the inside of the bell.

When USC possesses the bell, it sits along Trousdale Parkway for fans to ring as they participate in the "Trojan Walk" to the L.A. Coliseum. During home games, and whenever USC faces UCLA at the Rose Bowl, the Victory Bell is displayed at the edge of the field for the first three quarters of the game. Members of the Trojan Knights ring the bell every time the Trojans score.

Traditions and Game Day Atmosphere

USC UCLA rivalry week takes place during the week leading up to the crosstown showdown football game in November. Traditions at UCLA include the Beat SC rally, the victory bell swap and covering campus statues to protect against vandalism from students from the other school. UCLA students looking for UCLA Bruins football tickets have the option of purchasing a Den Pass, which gives pass holders entry into the student section for all regular season football and men’s basketball games for as low as $165.

For much of the rivalry's history, the Trojans and Bruins have worn their home (colored) jerseys for the game, reflecting the fact that until 1981 both teams played their home games at the Coliseum. A 1983 NCAA rule change mandated that home teams wear colors and away teams wear white jerseys, with violations resulting in the visitors being charged a first-half timeout for illegal equipment. Ahead of the 2008 edition of the game, new UCLA head coach (and former Bruin quarterback) Rick Neuheisel approached his USC counterpart Pete Carroll about reviving the color-versus-color tradition. The two coaches agreed[6], with UCLA (that year's home team) taking a timeout on the first play of the game as a sporting gesture following the Trojans' illegal equipment penalty.

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 Football: A Crosstown Competition

The USC-UCLA rivalry extends beyond the gridiron. The Crosstown Cup is awarded to the university with the most wins across all head-to-head athletic competitions between the two schools. Both schools also 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.

This all-encompassing competition reinforces the year-round nature of the rivalry.

Historical Context: Shaping West Coast Football

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.

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.

Game Titles and Traditions

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.

Other Rivalry Games

The ROTC "Blood Bowl" extends the football rivalry to the military training units at both schools. 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.

Staff of the Daily Bruin and Daily Trojan have competed in a flag football contest that is also called the "Blood 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 and USC have teams that compete in ACHA Division II club-level Ice hockey. UCLA and USC compete every year on the day after the football game in Men's Rugby. We Run the City 5K is 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

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.

Conference Championships and Rose Bowl Appearances

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.

Conclusion

The USC-UCLA football rivalry is more than just a game; it's a cultural phenomenon. From the shared city to the battle for the Victory Bell, this crosstown showdown encapsulates the passion, tradition, and unwavering loyalty that define college football. As both teams embark on a new chapter in the Big Ten Conference, the rivalry is poised to reach new heights, captivating audiences and solidifying its place as one of the greatest in the sport.

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