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. Los Angeles Times sportswriter Braven Dyer predicted on the day of the first football meeting on September 28, 1929, "In years to come, this game will probably be one of the football spectacles of the West" 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 to 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 and won their first and only National Championship in 1954. A famous quote was attributed to Sanders regarding the rivalry, "Beating 'SC is not a matter of life or death, it's more important than that." 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.
Tommy Prothro was the UCLA coach who posted the wins against McKay's teams, and drew more attention to the rivalry. 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. In the 1990s, UCLA enjoyed an eight-game winning streak against USC. 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. The only game that UCLA beat a Pete Carroll-coached team was the 13–9 win in 2006 at the Rose Bowl that kept USC out of the BCS Championship game and allowed the Bruins to keep the record for consecutive wins (8) in the rivalry.
Title of the game 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. Most often the game is referred to as the
USC–UCLA (or UCLA–USC) football game by the media. Fans of a particular team refer to it as the
USC game or
UCLA game, using the name of the opposing school.
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" during which the "Conquest" rally is held. 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. 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". 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 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. As for Navy ROTC, the USC Trojan Battalion has soundly defeated the UCLA Bruin Battalion three times over the past four years, with no game played in 2020. •
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 1950. •
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". While parked on the USC campus for the 2000 game, UCLA band's equipment truck was broken into with many instruments and gear being stolen. The incident ended the Band Bowl between the two schools. • '''UCLA vs. USC Football Manager's Bowl''' – UCLA and USC football equipment managers compete in a flag football contest the week leading up to the actual football game. The series was suspended in 2007 after several participants required hospital emergency-room treatment in 2006 because of injuries In 2011, the UCLA managers beat the USC managers in triple overtime. The UCLA managers have won the previous 4 match-ups. •
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 club-level
Ice hockey. They begin their series for the Crosstown cup. • '''UCLA vs.
USC Men's Rugby''' – UCLA and USC compete every year on the day after the football game. UCLA has won every matchup since 2004 with an overall record of 45–6. •
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. This is a family friendly run/walk managed by Special Olympics Southern California with USC and UCLA serve as the title sponsors since its inception in 2012.
Activities during the game 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. UCLA won in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. On November 13, 2012, UCLA served notice to the USC Marching Band that its drum major would not be allowed to stab a sword into the Bruins logo before the game in the Rose Bowl on November 17, 2012.
Sharing the Los Angeles 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 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. Carroll agreed to forfeit a timeout to satisfy the ruling and Coach
Rick Neuheisel agreed to forfeit one, in return (even though, as the coach of the home team, he was not required to do so by the ruling) to get back this tradition, and it was renewed in the 2008 game. In the wake of the coaches' decisions, the NCAA decided to amend their rules regarding away teams' uniforms (which were originally put into place to provide more contrast for
black-and-white photography and television broadcasts), changing the rule to state that the teams must agree on the decision for both teams to wear their colored jerseys before the game and that the uniforms must be of easily contrasted colors. (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. USC was forced to vacate both its wins from the 2004 and 2005 seasons due to NCAA violations.
Winning streaks in the series UCLA holds the longest winning streak in the series, as UCLA won eight straight games from 1991 to 1998. USC's longest streak was for seven wins from 1999 to 2005, which is not recognized because multiple years have vacated wins. But because a vacated win (under the NCAA) still counts as a loss for the opponent, UCLA's longest losing streak is still the seven games from 1999 to 2005.
The 1967 "Game of the Century" The
1967 USC vs. UCLA football game was one of the
historically significant 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 Indiana in the Rose Bowl and win the national championship. Despite Simpson's sensational performance in this game and accumulating 1,543 rushing yards for the season, Beban won the Heisman Trophy. Simpson won the trophy the following year.
Other 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, the USC "Thundering Herd" defeated UCLA 76–0, which stands as the most lopsided score of the series. •
1939 season – This was the first year where the Rose Bowl was on the line for both teams, and the first time both teams were ranked. The game ended in a scoreless tie, and USC went to the
1940 Rose Bowl. •
1952 season – UCLA was ranked No. 3 and USC was ranked No. 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
1953 Rose Bowl. •
1963 season – The game, scheduled for November 23, was postponed because of the
assassination of John F. Kennedy, which occurred on Friday, November 22. It was played on November 30, with USC prevailing 26–6. •
1965 season – #7 UCLA met #6 USC for the AAWU (Pac-8) title and the right to meet undefeated and #1 Michigan State in the
1966 Rose Bowl. The 1965 "Gutty Little Bruins" team won 20–16 with a score at 2:39 left to play, then upset the Spartans in the Rose Bowl Game. •
1969 season – Undefeated #6 UCLA (8–0–1) met undefeated #5 USC (8–0–1) with the
1970 Rose Bowl on the line. USC would prevail with a score in the final two minutes to win 14–12. •
1976 season – This was one of the biggest games of the 1976 season. Undefeated #2 UCLA (9–0–1) vs. #3 ranked USC (8–1) met to determine the
1977 Rose Bowl representative, and an outside shot at the National Championship should #1 ranked Pittsburgh lose. USC won 24–14 in the first rivalry game for both
John Robinson and
Terry Donahue. •
1982 season – The first rivalry game in the Rose Bowl, and the last to feature both teams in home jerseys until the 2008 game, in the final play USC quarterback Scott Tinsley attempted a two point conversion, but UCLA's Karl Morgan sacked him before the throw to preserve the Bruins’ 20-19 win, and propel the Bruins to their first Rose Bowl in their new home stadium and the first Rose Bowl and conference championship for Terry Donahue. It was John Robinson's last game in his first stint with USC before leaving to coach the Los Angeles Rams. •
1988 season – Undefeated second-ranked USC (9–0) and quarterback
Rodney Peete met 9–1, sixth-ranked UCLA and quarterback
Troy Aikman with the
1989 Rose Bowl on the line. UCLA had been ranked No. 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. •
1993 season – #16 UCLA and #22 USC met at the Coliseum with the Rose Bowl on the line for both teams. UCLA, quarterbacked by
Wayne Cook, jumped out to a 17–0 lead at halftime, only to see USC cut the deficit to 24–21 early in the 4th. After a
Bjorn Merten field goal made it 27–21 UCLA, USC quarterback
Rob Johnson completed consecutive long passes to
Johnnie Morton and Ken Grace to move the ball to the UCLA 3-yard line with 1:16 to play. Two USC runs behind All-American tackle
Tony Boselli were stopped, then on third down, Johnson's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Marvin Goodwin to seal the win for the Bruins. The result created a 3-way tie between UCLA, USC, and Arizona, and UCLA advanced to the
1994 Rose Bowl, its first Rose Bowl in 8 years, due to head-to-head wins over both other teams. UCLA broke a 10-game losing streak with the Rose Bowl on the line for both schools. •
1996 season – UCLA erased a 17-point deficit in the final 7 minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the score, then blocked a potential game-winning USC field goal at the end of regulation to create the first (and as of 2023, only) overtime game in the rivalry's history. The Bruins went on win, 48–41, in double overtime, to extend their win streak to six games. Cade McNown becomes the only UCLA quarterback to defeat USC all four years of his college career. •
1999 season – USC won 17–7 to break the Bruins' streak of eight straight. •
2005 season – USC had been ranked No. 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 defeated UCLA 66–19 in one of the most lopsided games of the series since the first matchup in 1929. The win was later vacated for NCAA infractions. •
2006 season – "13–9"; on December 2, 2006, UCLA defeated 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 eliminated the Trojans' from competing in their fourth-consecutive national title game (after winning the 2003 and 2004 AP National Championships and narrowly losing to Texas in the 2005 BCS National Championship game), which would have pitted the No. 2 Trojans against No. 1 ranked Ohio State in the 2006 BCS National Championship game. This was only the second USC loss to a major rival (UCLA or Notre Dame) in the Pete Carroll era. •
2011 season – "50–0"; on November 26, 2011, USC routed UCLA 50–0, which is the largest margin of victory in the rivalry since the 1930 matchup. Quarterback
Matt Barkley set the record for passing yards (423) and touchdowns (6) in the history of the rivalry, while wide receiver
Marqise Lee set the record for receiving yards (224). The game marked USC's 12th victory in 13 years against UCLA. •
2018 season – UCLA won 34–27 to end a three-game winning streak in the series by USC. Bruins running back
Joshua Kelley carried the ball 40 times for a career-high 289 yards, the most rushing yards for a player on either team in the history of the rivalry. In their 88th meeting, it was the first time the schools entered with a combined 13 losses. The Rose Bowl crowd of 57,116 was the lowest in the series since 1950, when 51,906 attended a 39–0 Bruins win at the Coliseum. •
2019 season – USC won 52–35 behind quarterback
Kedon Slovis's school-record 515 passing yards, which was also the most in the rivalry's history. The Trojans established a school record with four receivers each catching for over 100 yards. •
2021 season – In a 62-33 win, UCLA tied records for the most points (62), most touchdowns (9) and most extra points (8) scored against any USC football team.
Rivalry glory years Between 1965 and 1978, the conference championship and Rose Bowl berth were on the line for both teams nine times. • 1965 #7 UCLA uses two late touchdowns sandwiched around an on-side kick to beat #6 USC, 20–16. • 1966 #8 UCLA, playing without injured star QB
Gary Beban, beats #7 USC, 14–7. • 1967 #2 USC, led by
O. J. Simpson's 64-yard TD run and three blocked kicks, beats #1 UCLA, 21–20. • 1969 #5 USC, after a penalty on a 4th & 10 incompletion, scores a controversial late TD to beat #6 UCLA, 14–12. • 1972 #1 USC pulls away in the 2nd half to beat No. 14 UCLA, 24–7. UCLA was led by quarterback
Mark Harmon, future television and movie actor. • 1973 #9 USC, taking advantage of numerous turnovers, beats #8 UCLA, 23–13. • 1974 #8 USC wins easily over an injury riddled unranked UCLA squad, 34–9. • 1976 #3 USC, behind the scrambling and passing of QB
Vince Evans, beats #2 UCLA, 24–14. • 1978 #5 USC runs out the last minutes of the clock to hold off #14 UCLA, 17–10. In two other years (1975 and 1977) between 1965 and 1978, the Rose Bowl berth was on the line for UCLA only. • 1975 #14 UCLA overcomes 8 lost fumbles from 11 total (both Pac-12 records) and holds off unranked USC, 25–22 and goes on to upset #1 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl • 1977 #17 UCLA loses on a last-second USC field goal, 29–27; thus, Washington goes to the Rose Bowl and upsets Michigan. The USC coaches during this time were
John McKay and
John Robinson, while UCLA was coached by
Tommy Prothro,
Pepper Rodgers,
Dick Vermeil, and
Terry Donahue. ==Basketball==