UCLA-USC rivalry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The UCLA-USC rivalry is the intense rivalry between the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California football teams. The football rivalry is one manifestation of the competition between all sports teams at the schools. Quite often, the winner of the game has won or shared the Pacific Ten Conference title in football. A berth in the Rose Bowl game has been on the line many times as well for both schools. This rivalry is relatively unique in NCAA Division I sports because both schools are located within the same city, Los Angeles. The campuses are only ten miles apart. The sheer closeness of alumni and students, and the likelihood of encountering each other and interacting on a daily basis make this one of the most intense college rivalries in the United States.
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[edit] Football rivalry
[edit] Title of the game
The football rivalry game does not have a catchphrase moniker like other college football rivalries, an example being "The Big Game" played between Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. At UCLA, it is simply known as the "'SC game" and the week before it, appropriately, as "Beat 'SC Week" (officially dubbed "Blue and Gold Week"). At USC, the week before the game is known as "Troy Week". Sports pundits have tried to assign names like "The Los Angeles City Championship," "The Crosstown Showdown" or "The Battle of L.A.", but none have really gained traction.
[edit] 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 fans on one sideline or the other. The schools both also wore their home football jerseys for the game. Since the 1984 season, the visiting fans sit in the visitor section of the respective stadium, and the visiting team wears their white jerseys.
[edit] The Victory Bell
When the football teams from these schools compete against each other, the victor is awarded the Victory Bell. The Victory Bell, which was originally given to the UCLA student body by the UCLA Alumni Association in 1939, was the school's symbol of victory until it was stolen by USC students in 1941. When it was surrendered in 1942, the student body presidents of the two schools agreed that the bell would be the trophy awarded the winner of the annual UCLA-USC football game.
[edit] Football Series Record
USC has an overall record of 41-28-7 in the cross-town series. At the start of the 2006 football season, USC had possessed the Victory Bell for the past seven football seasons. This is USC's longest football winning streak over UCLA. It also followed directly after UCLA's longest football winning streak against USC (and the longest football winning streak in the series), when UCLA won eight straight games from 1991 to 1998. However, on December 2, 2006, UCLA, which finished the regular season with a record of 7-5 (5-4 Pac-10), pulled one of the biggest college football upsets ever by defeating the Trojans 13-9, and, in doing so, it not only ended No. 2 ranked USC's 63 game streak of scoring 20+ points, but also dashed its hopes again for another national championship.
[edit] Other Sports rivalries
Because of the geographical proximity and conference affiliation, UCLA and USC compete in other NCAA sanctioned sports, such as Basketball, Track and Field, Volleyball, and Water Polo. UCLA and USC are #1 and #3 respectively in terms of the most NCAA championships won in Division I as of 2006.[1] They have faced each other for the national title in several sports including Men's Volleyball and Women's water polo.
[edit] Lexus Gauntlet
The Lexus Gauntlet is the name given to a competition between UCLA and the University of Southern California in the 18 varsity sports that both compete in head-to-head; in 2003 and 2005, UCLA won the Lexus Gauntlet Trophy, while the University of Southern California won the trophy in 2002, 2004, and 2006.
[edit] UCLA-USC rivalry outside sports competition
The UCLA-USC rivalry is like few other college or university rivalries. Both universities are in the same city. Both universities are at the top in the nation not only for their sports achievements, but also for academic standing, with UCLA consistently ranked higher in the latter. Graduates from both universities work together all across Southern California. It is not uncommon for married couples to consist of one graduate from each school. Also, undergraduates of one school can be found attending graduate school across town. High schools in Southern California send some of their top graduates to both schools every year.
The rivalry is also a microcosm of a geopolitical rivalry based upon the locations of the schools and the cost of attending each school.
[edit] Geographic location
USC is located on the Southern fringe of downtown Los Angeles by Exposition Park. In the early years of the city, it was a fashionable area, but it began to be rundown as wealthier residents migrated towards other suburban neighborhoods, following the national trend. USC was an isolated enclave for a number of years and the surrounding neighborhood had a bad reputation. Lately, with newer downtown construction, the area is becoming connected with downtown again. Most of the major LA area public sports facilities are located near campus, including the Los Angeles Coliseum and Staples Center.
UCLA is located on the West side of Los Angeles and is nestled between many affluent suburban communities: Brentwood, Bel-Air, Beverly Hills and Westwood. With continuing growth in the area around campus, UCLA is no longer suburban.
[edit] Funding
The University of California is a public school, while the University of Southern California is a private school. The tuition for a California resident at UCLA has run significantly less than tuition for USC. However, out of state residents may pay nearly the same amount in tuition at either UCLA or USC. An academic or athletic scholarship from either school renders the funding difference negligible.
Living near the UCLA campus can make it more expensive to have an apartment or house.
Although both universities are well served by busses and are located close to freeways, travel times can be long. Also, automobile parking at either campus can be expensive, especially if paid on a daily basis.
[edit] UCLA-USC rivalry in popular culture
- In a 2005 ESPN commercial, a man wearing a UCLA sweatshirt opens his door on Halloween to find a young Trick-or-treater dressed in a USC Trojan outfit. He closes his door in disgust without handing out any candy. (The commercial's comedy lies in the fact that UCLA and USC fans retain a lifetime rivalry with each other, while still living side-by-side.)
- In a 2006 episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine, Old Christine's ex husband, Richard, takes their son Richie to the UCLA-USC game at the Coliseum.
[edit] See Also
- UCLA Bruins athletics
- USC Trojans athletics
- Game of the Century: The 1967 USC vs UCLA game, one of the eight defining college football games of the 20th century
- UCLA vs. USC: 75 Years of the Greatest Rivalry in Sports by Lonnie White (ISBN 1883792274)
[edit] Notes
[edit] External Links
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