The Storied Rivalry: A History of UCLA vs. USC Football
The UCLA-USC football rivalry, a clash of titans in the heart of Los Angeles, is more than just a game; it's a tradition steeped in history, pride, and unforgettable moments. From the battle for the Victory Bell to decades of on-field competition, this rivalry has shaped the landscape of college football in Southern California.
Origins and Early Years
The rivalry between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans dates back to 1929, marking almost a century of historical games. Their first matchup on Sept. 28, 1929, resulted in a 76-0 victory for USC, setting the stage for what would become a fierce crosstown showdown. Since then, the two universities have alternated hosting the games, building a long record of wins, losses, and ties.
The Victory Bell: A Symbol of Triumph
The Victory Bell stands as the coveted trophy awarded to the winner of the UCLA-USC football rivalry game. This iconic bell was gifted to the UCLA student body in 1939 by the school's alumni association. Initially, UCLA cheerleaders proudly rang the bell after each Bruin score.
The Great Heist of 1941
In a daring act that would forever be etched in the rivalry's lore, six members of USC's Trojan Knights infiltrated UCLA's rooting section during the opening game of the 1941 season. Assisted in loading the bell aboard a truck headed back to Westwood, took the key to the truck, and escaped with the bell while UCLA's actual handlers went to find a replacement key. The bell remained hidden from UCLA students for more than a year, stashed in various locations, including SigEp’s basement, the Hollywood Hills, and even beneath a haystack.
The brazen theft sparked a series of elaborate pranks between UCLA and USC students, intensifying the rivalry. Eventually, a picture of the bell surfaced in a USC periodical, further fueling the tension.
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A Symbol of Possession
When the bell is in UCLA's possession, the carriage is sandblasted and painted "True Blue." While in the possession of UCLA, the bell is safeguarded by the UCLA Rally Committee. During UCLA home games at the Rose Bowl and whenever UCLA faces USC at the L.A. Coliseum, it resides on the field in front of the student section. It is rung by members of the Rally Committee after each score. The Bruins also ring the bell using a rope attached to the handle, swinging the whole bell, as opposed to the Trojan style of attaching a rope to the tongue or clapper on the inside of the bell. The bell also makes special appearances at rallies and athletic events and has been used to accompany the UCLA Band during halftime shows. Before home games, when the bell is in USC's possession, 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.
A Century of Clashes: Key Moments and Records
As of the 2025 season, USC leads the series with a record of 54-34-7 (excluding two vacated USC wins due to NCAA penalty for violation of NCAA rules). The Bruins made their post-season appearance after the 1942 season in the Rose Bowl. 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.
Dominance and Streaks
Before a streak of seven Trojan wins, the Bruins had won the bell for eight consecutive years from 1991-1998, the longest streak in the rivalry. There have been seven ties in the history of the series. In the event of a tie, the Victory Bell was retained by the last winner. With the institution of the overtime rule in FBS in 1996, the tie rule became obsolete.
Memorable Games
Throughout the rivalry, USC has won more games with 54 wins, compared to UCLA’s 34 wins. From the most recent game to the first one of its kind, the UCLA Bruins have won 34 games, lost 54 and tied with USC seven times. The widest score gap in the UCLA-USC rivalry came in its first game in 1929 when USC defeated UCLA 76 to 0. The following year's game in 1930 ended with the rivalry's second-largest gap, again a USC victory, at 52-0. The third-largest gap came 81 years later, in 2011.
Traditions and Rivalry Week
At UCLA, the week leading up to the game is called Beat ‘SC Week, while at USC, the week is called Troy Week, more commonly known as Conquest Week. Notably, in 2009, USC vandalizers splattered the Bruin Bear statue with red and yellow paint.
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Protecting the Symbols
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".
Other Rivalry Events
The rivalry extends beyond the football field, encompassing various sporting and academic competitions:
- 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.
- 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.
- Blood Drive Competition: 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.
Shared Stadium 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. It was determined before the 2008 game that the visiting school would only lose one timeout for incorrect equipment.
Conference Titles and Rose Bowl Appearances
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. 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. 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. 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.
Coaches and Eras
USC began a rise to national prominence under Howard Jones in 1925. 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. In 1960 John McKay, the winningest coach is USC football history, took over the struggling USC program. 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. Pete Carroll was hired by USC in December 2000.
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Game Titles and Nicknames
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.
A Rivalry Beyond Football
The rivalry between UCLA and USC extends beyond the gridiron, permeating into academics, student life, and even medical advancements. According to UCLA Health, USC and UCLA doctors have also performed the world’s first successful human bladder transplant in May of this year at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The schools have been together 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. 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.
The Crosstown Cup
The Crosstown Cup is the name given to a competition between UCLA and USC in the 19 NCAA-sanctioned varsity sports in which both compete. UCLA won the competition in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2013, 2015 while USC won the trophy in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2016.
