UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl
The UCLA Bruins celebrated 100 years as a college football program in 2019, which is a testament to the team's long and decorated history. A member of the Pac-12 Conference's South Division, the Bruins won the national championship in 1954 and have claimed 17 conference championships and two division wins. UCLA has also played in over 35 bowl games, winning the Rose Bowl five times. Since November 2017, the Bruins have been coached by Chip Kelly, who replaced former coach Jim Mora. The Bruins have played home games at the historic, 90,000-capacity Rose Bowl in Pasadena since 1982.
UCLA Bruins Football History
The UCLA Bruins played their first season in 1919, and joined the Pacific Coast Conference in 1928. A stint in the Athletic Association of Western Universities followed starting in 1959. After several name changes, that conference eventually evolved into the Pac-10 in 1977 and Pac-12 in 2011. The Bruins' stint in the Pac-10 coincides with some of their most successful seasons. Head coach Terry Donahue led the team from 1976 to 1995, and guided the squad to a 151-74-8 record during that time.
UCLA has also fielded multiple College Football Hall of Famers, including future NFL stars such as quarterback Troy AIkman, safety Kenny Easley, receiver Tom Fears and tackle Jonathan Ogden. The Bruins can also boast having one Heisman Trophy winner, as quarterback Gary Beban took home the honor in 1967. Future baseball legend Jackie Robinson even played football for the Bruins, including on the undefeated team in 1939.
UCLA's most famous football rivalry is with crosstown (and intra-conference) opponents the USC Trojans, with whom they once shared a home field, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Every year, the two teams meet for a game, where the winner earns the right to control a former train bell, dubbed the Victory Bell. Ferocious school spirit runs rampant every year, which often spills out onto the field, including during the legendary 1967 game where the conference championship and a Rose Bowl berth were on the line. Nicknamed the "Game of the Century," the contest found No. 4 USC upset No. 1 UCLA, 21-20, thanks to a 64-yard touchdown run by Trojans star O.J. Simpson.
