The USC UCLA Rivalry

The Famous USC UCLA Sports Rivalry

There are many storied sports rivalries among the nation’s colleges and universities, and one of the longest running such rivalries is that between the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California. While USC is most known for their success in football, and UCLA for their history of great basketball teams, rankings and records can be tossed aside when these two meet, regardless of he sport.

The University of California, Los Angeles is situated on 419 acres in Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, about 5 miles from the Pacific coast, while the University of Southern California has multiple campuses in and around the city of L.A. If you journey around the Los Angeles area, you are certain to observe students and fans of both institutions clad in their respective school’s colors.

Both universities are members of the Pac 10 Athletic Conference, and on many occasions, the winner of their annual football game has won the conference championship and its automatic berth in the historic Rose Bowl. In 2006, USC was thought to be a lock for the game that would determine the NCAA’s division 1 football champion. UCLA however, had other plans, and by the end of that game, UCLA had beaten USC, 13 - 9. This game was a shock to most of those who follow college football, but was exactly what UCLA coach Karl Dorrell and his entire team and their supporters expected. It was rumored that Ohio State’s coaching staff and many team members sighed in relief when they realized they would not have to face USC in the national championship game. The relief was short lived, as the University of Florida gave them a sound spanking in the national title game.

It is only natural that a strong rivalry would blossom between these two outstanding universities, especially when you consider the region they share, their competition for high school recruits, the large media market they share, and the fact that the lives of many of the students and faculty members are so intertwined. The Pacific Coast Conference was established in 1915 with USC a charter member. USC had established a football powerhouse by the time UCLA joined the conference in 1929. The games of ‘29 and ‘30 were so lop-sided in favor of USC that games between the two were suspended until UCLA had better established their program in the mid to late ‘30s. UCLA had blossomed into a national power and dominated the series by the 1950s, culminating in their lone national championship in 1954. From the mid ‘60s through the late ‘70s, one of the two was dominate in west coast football. UCLA was victorious in eight straight games from 1991 thru 1998, then with the rejuvenation of the USC program by Pete Carrol’s coaching staff, USC took the next seven games through the 2005 season. As aforementioned, UCLA deprived USC of its run to the national championship in 2006.

Early in the 2007 season USC is again considered the team to beat, both in conference, and nationally. You can rest assured that the UCLA Bruins will be lying in wait, hoping to again spoil the dreams and aspirations of the mighty USC Trojans. Just as surely, USC will be looking to avenge last season's disappointing loss. This great and long lasting rivalry is sure to continue for a long time to come.

Save in del.icio.us | Digg it!

TERMS OF REPRINT
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free
of charge, as long as the bylines are included and you follow these rules:
*Email distribution of this article MUST be opt-in email only.
*If you post this article on a website, you must set any URL's
in the body of the article and most especially in the Author's
Resource Box as hyperlinks.