UCLA Bruins football
2025 UCLA Bruins football team
First season	1919; 106 years ago
Athletic director	Martin Jarmond
Head coach	Tim Skipper (interim) 1st season, 3–4 (.429)
Stadium	Rose Bowl (capacity: 80,816[1])
Field	Spieker Field
Location	Pasadena, California
NCAA division	Division I FBS
Conference	Big Ten
All-time record	639–449–37[2] (.584)
Bowl record	17–20–1 (.461)
Claimed national titles
1954
Conference titles
PCC:1935,1942,1946,1953,1954,1955 Pac-12:1959,1961,1965,1975,1982,1983,1985,1987,1993,1997,1998
Conference division titles
Pac-12 South:2011,2012
Heisman winners	Gary Beban – 1967
Consensus All-Americans	41
Rivalries	California (rivalry) Stanford (rivalry) USC (rivalry)
Current uniform
Colors	Blue and gold[3]
Fight song	Mighty Bruins Sons of Westwood
Mascot	Joe & Josephine Bruin
Marching band	The Solid Gold Sound
Outfitter	Jordan Brand[4]
Website	UCLABruins.com

TheUCLA Bruins football program represents theUniversity of California, Los Angeles, incollege football as members of theBig Ten Conference at theNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Bruins play their home games off campus at theRose Bowl inPasadena, California.

The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of theAP Poll at least once in every decade since the poll began in the 1930s. Their first major period of success came in the 1950s, under head coachRed Sanders. Sanders led the Bruins to theCoaches' Pollnational championship in1954, three conference championships, and an overall record of 66–19–1 in nine years. In the 1980s and 1990s, during the tenure ofTerry Donahue, the Bruins compiled a 151–74–8 record, including 13 bowl games and an NCAA record eight straight bowl wins. Recent success has evaded them, though, landing them with a 16–19 overall bowl game record. The program has produced 28 first round picks in theNFL draft, 30 consensusAll-Americans, and multiple major award winners, includingHeisman Trophy winnerGary Beban. The UCLA Bruins' main rival is theUSC Trojans.

The Bruins were twice thePac-12 Conference South Division champions, earning the right to play inPac-12 Football Championship Games in both 2011 and 2012. UCLA and fellow Pac-12 members USC, Oregon, and Washington left for theBig Ten Conference in 2024.

The first football team fielded by UCLA took the field in 1919.^[5] The team was coached byFred Cozens, and compiled a 2–6 record.^[5] UCLA did not participate in anathletic conference until 1920, so the 1919 football team played a schedule full of localhigh schools and other assorted teams.^[5] Cozens was UCLA's athletics director from 1919 to 1942.^[6]Harry Trotter took over the young UCLA football program after Cozens stepped down after guiding the Bruins in their first season.^[7] UCLA began to play in theSouthern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) in 1920, and competed againstOccidental College,California Institute of Technology,University of Redlands,Whittier College, andPomona College.^[7] Coach Trotter's two wins were against Redlands andSan Diego State, which did not join the SCIAC until 1926.^[7] Trotter left UCLA with a 2–13–1 record in three seasons (1920–1922).^[7]James J. Cline took over the Bruins football program as its third head coach in 1923.^[7] Coach Cline's two wins were againstLoyola University and San Diego State.^[7] Cline was replaced after two seasons and a 2–10–3 record.^[7]

William H. Spaulding came to UCLA fromMinnesota in 1925. As the Bruins head coach, his overall record in 14 seasons was 72–51–8.^[8] During his tenure in Los Angeles, Spaulding led the Bruins to their first bowl appearance and victory, the 1938Poi Bowl.^[8] Also during Spaulding's tenure, the Bruins left the SCIAC and joined thePacific Coast Conference beginning in 1928.^[9] Spaulding's 72 wins rank him among the best in head coaching victories in Bruin football history.^[10] He retired after a successful fourteen-season tenure ended after the 1938 season.^[11]

Edwin C. Horrell was promoted to head coach following Spaulding's retirement.^[12] His 1942 UCLA Bruins team lost toGeorgia in the1943 Rose Bowl.^[13] He was the first coach to lead a UCLA team to defeat rivalUSC.^[12] It was the first football victory in theUCLA–USC rivalry. The most notable player who played for Horrell at UCLA wasJackie Robinson, who went on to a Hall of Fame career in professionalbaseball.^[12] Horrell's 1939 team compiled a 6–0–4 and his 1941 team posted a 5–5–1 record.^[13] With the exception of the 1942 season, the combined record of the Bruins during Horrell's tenure outside the aforementioned seasons was 6–22–1.^[13] These struggles led to Horrell's firing after six seasons at the helm of UCLA football.^[12]

CoachBert LaBrucherie was hired by his alma mater to replace Horrell.^[12] LaBrucherie's overall record at UCLA was 23–16.^[14] In his second year as head coach, the Bruins were Pacific Coast Conference champions, but lost to Illinois in the1947 Rose Bowl.^[15] LaBrucherie's Bruins only posted one losing season during his four seasons, a 3–7 1948 season in what turned out to be his final season.^[14] LaBrucherie accepted the position of head football coach atCalifornia Institute of Technology after the 1948 season, departing UCLA.^[12]

Red Sanders came to UCLA fromVanderbilt.^[16] He was arguably the best coach in school history, with an overall record of 66–19–1 (.773) at UCLA and earned the school its only national championship in football in1954.^[17] As head coach of the Bruins, Sanders led them to three Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) titles, twoRose Bowls (1953 and1955 seasons) and to a 6–3 record over arch-rivalUSC.^[12][17] Sanders instituted the distinctive football uniforms worn by the Bruins when he replaced the navy blue jerseys with "baking powderkeg blue", added the shoulder stripe to give the impression of motion, and changed the number style fromblock toclarendon.^[12] Sanders said these changes were made to make it easier to see his Bruins on the grainy black and white game films of the time.^[12]

The1954 Bruins compiled a 9–0 record and climbed to the top of theCoaches' Poll, sharing thenational championship withOhio State, winner of theAP Poll's title.^[17] Due to the PCC's early "no repeat" rule, the undefeated Bruins were unable to compete in the Rose Bowl that season despite being the PCC champion.^[12] Second-place USC, who the Bruins beat 34–0, played in the1955 Rose Bowl instead and lost toBig Ten Conference champion and eventual co-national champion Ohio State, 20–7.^[12] Henry Sanders was also known for intensifying the Bruins' rivalry with USC.^[12] His teams were always given a speech before the game against their cross-town rivals that always ended with "Beat SC!" A famous quote was attributed to Sanders regarding the rivalry, "Beating 'SC isn't a matter of life and death. It's more important than that."^[18][19]

Shortly before the 1958 season was set to begin, Sanders suffered a heart attack and died in a Los Angeles hotel.^[20][21] For his successes, he was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1996.^[22]

After the death of Red Sanders, assistant coachGeorge W. Dickerson took over the Bruins on an interim basis before suffering a nervous breakdown.^[23] Then, a full-time head coach was hired.William F. Barnes was the head coach for the UCLA Bruins football team for seven seasons.^[24] He guided his teams to a 31–34–3 (.478) record.^[24] He did have two seven-win seasons in 1960 and 1961, leading the Bruins to the1962 Rose Bowl.^[24] That year, the Bruins finished the season ranked No. 16 in the final AP poll.^[24] Barnes resigned after the 1964 season after learning that athletics directorJ.D. Morgan was not going to renew his contract.^[25][26]

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On January 11, 1965,Tommy Prothro was hired away fromOregon State as head coach of the UCLA Bruins.^[12] In the 1965 football season, the Bruins lost their season opening game 13–3 atMichigan State, who then rose to become the top-ranked team in the country.^[12] The unheralded Bruins would go on a seven-game undefeated streak, surprising national powers the likes ofSyracuse andPenn State.^[12] Going into the 1965UCLA–USC rivalry football game ranked No. 7, the conference championship and1966 Rose Bowl were on the line.^[12] No. 6 USC, led byHeisman Trophy winnerMike Garrett led 16–6 until UCLA got a touchdown on a pass fromGary Beban toDick Witcher with four minutes to play.^[12] After the two-point conversion made it 16–14, UCLA recovered an onside kick.^[12] Beban then hit Kurt Altenberg on a 50-yard bomb and UCLA won, 20–16.^[27] Integrated UCLA then faced all-whiteTennessee in the newly builtLiberty Bowl stadium inMemphis, Prothro's native city.^[12] On the last play of the game, Tennessee defensive back Bob Petrella intercepted a UCLA pass to save a Volunteer win by a score of 37–34.^[12] Tennessee's winning drive was aided by a controversial pass interference call, the clock had questionably stopped twice, and a dropped pass that appeared to be a lateral was recovered by UCLA, but was later ruled an incomplete forward pass.^[12] After the game, Prothro stated, "For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be a Southerner."^[28]Prothro and the Bruins went on to completed the season with a dramatic pay-back upset victory over the No. 1 ranked Michigan State Spartans in the 1966 Rose Bowl, 14–12. This victory over the much stronger Spartans perpetuated the legend of the "Gutty little Bruins."

Heading into the final game of the 1966 season vs.USC, UCLA was 2–1 in conference games, 8–1 overall and ranked No. 5 in the country.^[12] The Bruins, featuring a "dream backfield" of All-Americans Gary Beban andMel Farr, lost only one game, at rainyWashington, 16–3, where Huskies' head coachJim Owens had devoted his entire season to beating Prothro.^[12] UCLA had beaten UW the season before, 28–24, with Prothro's trick play, the Z-streak in which a receiver trots towards the sideline like he's going out of the game and then runs a streak pattern unguarded by the inattentive defender.^[12] USC was 4–0 in conference and 7–1 overall, having lost to unrankedMiami.^[12] The Bruins and Trojans played a different number of conference due to uneven scheduling caused by new AAWU members Oregon and Oregon State and schedules made years in advance.^[12] It was widely assumed that only losses would be considered and the winner of the 1966 UCLA-USC game would go to the1967 Rose Bowl. UCLA star quarterback Gary Beban broke his ankle the week before in a win over Stanford, but backup Norman Dow, making his first and only start at quarterback, led UCLA to a 14–7 win.^[29][30] That left USC with a 4–1 conference record (7–2 overall) and No. 5 UCLA with a 3–1 conference record (9–1) overall.

Due to their win over USC, it was widely assumed UCLA would get the Rose Bowl berth. However, a vote the next Monday among the AAWU conference athletic directors awarded USC the Rose Bowl berth.^[12] It was speculated that the directors believed Beban could not play for UCLA in the Rose Bowl due to the broken ankle, thereby giving theBig Ten Conference representative,Purdue, a better chance to win. As it turned out, Beban could have played. But a bigger reason was that this was to make up for 1964 when Oregon State was voted in ahead of USC. The coach of Oregon State in 1964 was Prothro.^[12][31] Another speculation was the vote was against UCLA out of pure jealousy by the rest of the conference, which voted 7–1 for the clearly inferior team. This vote deprived Prothro of being the first coach to earn three consecutive Rose Bowl berths and UCLA athletic directorJ.D. Morgan called it a "gross injustice" and the "a dark day in UCLA and AAWU Athletic history." Inflamed UCLA students who had gathered for the Rose Bowl celebration rally, took to the streets of Westwood in protest and actually blocked the 405 Freeway for a short time.^[12] Ironically, Morgan was the force behind establishing a tie-breaking method adopted by the conference one year later in which only loss column counted; the first tiebreaker was head-to-head results, followed by overall record. If there was still a tie, the Rose Bowl berth would go to the team that had not played in the Rose Bowl the longest. But it was too late for UCLA. In their final game, USC made the AAWU decision look bad by losing to No. 1Notre Dame, 51–0. They went on to lose the Rose Bowl as well to Purdue, 14–13, finishing the season at 7–4.

In 1967, Prothro helped a second quarterback capture the Heisman Trophy whenGary Beban was awarded the trophy after the regular season.^[12] He would bring his No. 1 ranked UCLA Bruin team to face No. 2USC in one of the"Games of the Century". Despite playing with cracked ribs, Beban threw for 301 yards, but UCLA lost, 21–20, on a spectacular 64-yard run byO. J. Simpson in the1967 USC vs. UCLA football game.^[12] Another big factor was UCLA's acclaimed sophomore kicker Zenon Andusyshyn missing achip shot field goal, and having two field goals and an extra point attempt blocked.^[12] In what was acknowledged to be a rebuilding year, the Bruins opened the 1968 season with a 63–7 defeat ofPittsburgh and a win overWashington State.^[32] The season ground to a halt at Syracuse and with the season-ending injury of quarterbackBilly Bolden, and UCLA would win only one more game, overStanford 20–17. The Bruins gave No. 1USC and Heisman Trophy winner O. J. Simpson a scare in a 28–16 loss;^[32] UCLA trailed 21–16 late in the fourth quarter and had the ball inside USC's 10-yard line, but USC recovered a fumble and then used almost all of the remaining time in driving for their insurance touchdown.

1969 was the year Prothro had geared his recruiting efforts towards as he believed this was his best team and was capable of contending for the national championship.^[12] The Bruins, quarterbacked by a sensational Junior College transferDennis Dummit discovered by Prothro, were undefeated until they faced No. 10Stanford in Palo Alto.^[33] Once again, Prothro was let down by now senior kickerZenon Andrusyshyn as he missed a short field goal late in the game with the score tied 20–20.^[12] Suddenly, two longJim Plunkett passes had Stanford in field goal range in the final seconds, but UCLA blocked Steve Horowitz's attempt to preserve the tie.^[12] Once again, the UCLA-USC game would decide the Pac-8 title and the1970 Rose Bowl berth. UCLA was ranked 6th with a 5–0–1 record in conference and 8–0–1 overall USC was No. 5 and was 6–0 in conference and 8–0–1 overall (tiedNotre Dame in South Bend, 14–14); UCLA andUSC were both unbeaten coming into their rivalry game for the first time since 1952. UCLA scored midway through the fourth quarter to take a 12–7 lead (knowing he need a win and not a tie to advance to the Rose Bowl, Prothro had the Bruins go for two after each touchdown and each attempt failed).^[12] USC then drove to the winning touchdown with 1:38 to play to win 14–12. The Trojans were aided by two controversial calls; the first was a dubious pass interference call on UCLA's Danny Graham on a 4th-and-10 incompletion. Secondly, on the winning touchdown pass reception, USC receiver Sam Dickerson appeared to be either out of bounds, out of the back of the end zone, or both. This loss supposedly was harder for Prothro to take than the 1967 loss and the freak officiating calls resembled the debacle at Tennessee in 1965.^[12][34]

In what turned out to be his final season at UCLA, Prothro's team suffered a rash of key injuries and finished 6–5, yet they were three close games from a 9–2 season and Rose Bowl berth.^[35] Before those injuries set in, UCLA took a 3–0 record intoAustin to play defending national champ and top rankedTexas.^[35] Trailing 13–3 at the half, UCLA rallied and had a 17–13 lead in the final minute. But with 12 seconds left, Texas completed a long pass when their receiver caught the ball between two UCLA defenders, who then collided, allowing the receiver to score. UCLA also blew a 20-point fourth quarter lead against Oregon, when Ducks sophomore quarterbackDan Fouts rallied his team to three touchdowns and a 41–40 win.^[35] Finally, there came the showdown with Stanford; the game was expected to be a shootout between UCLA quarterback Dennis Dummit and Heisman winnerJim Plunkett. But the defenses ruled as UCLA took a 7–6 lead into the 4th quarter. Stanford took a 9–7 lead on a field goal, but UCLA was driving to a potential game-winning field goal or touchdown themselves when they completed a pass inside the Stanford 10-yard-line, only to have the receiver get sandwiched by two defenders on the tackle and fumble. This game ultimately decided the Pac-8 championship and1971 Rose Bowl representative. The season ended on a high note however, when UCLA beat rivalUSC, 45–20, in a game that was not that close. This would end up being Prothro's final game at UCLA. Prothro was frustrated by bizarre officiating at critical moments, numerous last minute narrow losses, and losing out of the Rose Bowl by the conference vote in 1966.^[12] Prothro also decried the Pac-8 rule that only allowed the conference champion to go to a bowl game; he witnessed many lower ranked inferior teams from theBig Eight,Southeastern andSouthwest conferences (often ones he defeated during the season) go to bowl games while his Bruins stayed home.^[12] AfterGeorge Allen was fired by theLos Angeles Rams, Prothro accepted that job,^[12] leaving the Bruins after six seasons and a 41–18–3 record.^[31] Prothro was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1991.^[36]

Pepper Rodgers came to UCLA fromKansas after the departure of Prothro. In Rodgers' three seasons at the helm of the Bruins, UCLA finished 2–7–1, 8–3 and 9–2.^[37] In 1972, the Bruins began the season with a 20–17 victory over two-time defending national championNebraska, and finished the season ranked No. 17 and No. 15 in the final Coaches' and AP polls, respectively.^[37] In 1973, the Bruins finished ranked No. 9 and No. 12 in the final Coaches' and AP polls, respectively.^[37] Rodgers surprised UCLA fans, players and administration by deciding to accept the head football coach position at his alma mater,Georgia Tech after the 1973 season.^[38] He left the Bruins after compiling a 19–12–1 overall record.^[37]

As head coach at UCLA,Dick Vermeil compiled a 15–5–3 record in two seasons (1974–1975), including a 9–2–1 record in1975 when he led the Bruins to their firstconference championship in 10 years, and a win in theRose Bowl over undefeated and No. 1 rankedOhio State.^[39] Vermeil won Pac-8 Coach of the Year honors in 1975.^[39] Vermeil became the second out of three UCLA head coaches (and third in a row to leave UCLA for another job) to leave for theNFL when he accepted on offer to become head coach of thePhiladelphia Eagles.^[40] His final record as head coach of the Bruins is 15–5–3.^[39]

Terry Donahue was promoted from assistant coach to head coach of the Bruins football team following Vermeil's departure.^[41] Donahue has the most conference wins of any head coach inPacific-10 Conference history (98) and also the most wins in UCLA football history (151).^[41] His teams compiled a record of 8–4–1 in bowl games and were the first to win a bowl game in seven consecutive seasons.^[42] Donahue's UCLA teams won or shared five Pacific-10 Conference championships and won threeRose Bowls (1983,1984, and1986).^[42] Donahue's record was 10–9–1 againstUSC in theUCLA–USC rivalry.^[41][43] His teams won four New Year's Day bowl games in a row from 1983 to 1986.^[41]

Donahue retired from coaching after 20 seasons and was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2000.^[41] His final record is 151–74–8.^[42]

Bob Toledo was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach of the Bruins after Donahue's retirement.^[12] In 1996, his first season as head coach, the Bruins finished with a 5–6 record.^[44] The highlight of the season was a comeback win over USC.

The1997 team finished as co-champions of thePacific-10 Conference withWashington State.^[44] However, with Washington State defeating the Bruins in the season opener, the Cougars earned the right to play in theRose Bowl.^[12] The highlights of that season were a 66–3 win over theTexas and a victory at theCotton Bowl Classic overTexas A&M, and a victory overUSC.^[12] The1998 season started out as one of the best in the history of UCLA football.^[12] The team was high enough in theBCS standings to merit entry to thenational championship game, and all UCLA needed to do was beat unrankedUniversity of Miami, who were major underdogs after a 66–13 loss toSyracuse the week before.^[12] UCLA was also coming off of their eighth consecutive victory over USC and 20th straight win overall. However,Miami won 49–45, ending UCLA's chances of playing in the national championship game.^[12] They instead settled for a trip to theRose Bowl as Pac-10 champions, but lost toWisconsin.^[44] This is seen as the turning point for the UCLA football program.^[12]

The1999 season was a major disappointment, with the team finishing 4–7.^[44] This was the first year thatUSC had defeated them in the annual rivalry since 1990.^[45] The year also had the dubious distinction of a 55–7 loss to Pac-10 foeOregon State, the worst defeat of the Bruins in 69 years.^[45] In 2000, the Bruins finished 6–6 with a loss in theSun Bowl, again againstWisconsin.^[46] The2001 season started with promise as the Bruins got off to a fast start with a 6–0 record.^[47] However, four straight losses toStanford,Washington State,Oregon, andUSC, the Bruins faded out of postseason contention.^[47]

UCLA finished off 8–5 inToledo's final season in 2002.^[48] The team finished 7–5 in the regular season, but Toledo was fired after a fourth straight loss toUSC.^[49] The Bruins did reach theLas Vegas Bowl and interim coachEd Kezirian coached—and won—his only game in charge of the program.^[48] Toledo finished with a record of 49–32, for awinning percentage of .605, including one winning streak of 20 consecutive victories, a school record.^[44] Toledo's greatest accomplishment with the team may have been in the 1997 season, where the team finished 10–2 with a victory overTexas A&M in theCotton Bowl Classic.^[44] Toledo's Bruins were 3–4 against UCLA's cross-town archrival, theUSC Trojans.^[12]

Longtime college and NFL assistantKarl Dorrell was brought in to revive the glory of the UCLA football program, his alma mater, after Toledo was fired.^[50] Dorrell also was brought in to UCLA to clean up a program marred by off-the-field problems in the final years of Bob Toledo's tenure, most notably, the handicap placard scandal.^[51] He was the firstAfrican American head football coach in UCLA football history.

Dorrell's UCLA Bruins team recorded a mark of 6–7 in his first season as head coach in 2003, with an appearance in theSilicon Valley Bowl, and a loss toFresno State.^[52] In 2004, his second season, the team finished with a record of 6–6 an appearance in theLas Vegas Bowl, with a loss toWyoming.^[53]

In 2005, his third season as head football coach, Dorrell was able get his first win against a ranked opponent, No. 21Oklahoma, featuringAdrian Peterson.^[54] On October 1, 2005, head coachTyrone Willingham and hisWashington Huskies came to theRose Bowl for aPacific-10 Conference game to play UCLA. This was the first time two black head coaches faced each other in a Pac-10 conference game. At the time,Sylvester Croom ofMississippi State was the only other black coach heading an NCAA Division I football program. Dorrell achieved his first win against a top-ten opponent with a 47–40 upset win over No. 10-ranked rivalCalifornia.^[54] Three Bruin wins in the 2005 season set new school records for biggest comebacks earning the nickname "The Cardiac Kids." They came thanks largely to the heroics of quarterbackDrew Olson and tailbackMaurice Jones-Drew. In the regular season the Bruins came from down 21 points to win in overtime against both Washington State and Stanford.^[54] In the Stanford comeback, the Bruins scored 21 points in the final 7:04 of the fourth quarter.^[55] In the Sun Bowl, the Bruins set the record again by coming back from 22 points down.^[54] The Bruins were ranked No. 7 in the nation until a 52–14 blowout loss to a 3–8Arizona team.^[54] The Bruins came into theUCLA–USC rivalry last regular season game ranked No. 11. They suffered a 66–19 defeat to the No. 12005 USC Trojans football team.^[54] This was the largest margin of defeat since the series began in 1929 with a 76–0 defeat. The Bruins finished third in the Pac-10 standings. On December 30, 2005, his Bruins defeated theNorthwestern Wildcats in theSun Bowl, 50–38, finishing the season with a 10–2 record.^[54] At the end of the 2005 season, Dorrell received pay bonuses for coaching successful seasons. He was named Pac-10 co-coach of the year along withUSC head coachPete Carroll.^[56]

In 2006, Dorrell's fourth season, the Bruins finished the season 7–6 (5–4 in conference) and finished fourth-place in the Pac-10.^[57] UCLA played its first game at theUniversity of Notre Dame since the 1960s and was leading 17–13, but theIrish scored a touchdown in the final minute to win.^[58] The most notable victory of his coaching career at UCLA was a 13–9 defeat of No. 2-ranked andBowl Championship Series title-game-bound USC on December 2, 2006.^[57] The win kept the Trojans out of the title game and broke a seven-game UCLA losing streak to the Trojans, thereby preserving the Bruins' eight-game win streak over USC from 1991 to 1998 as the longest run in the history of the rivalry. The victory also clinched a winning season for UCLA. The Bruins played in theEmerald Bowl in San Francisco against aBobby Bowden-coachedFlorida State team on December 27, 2006, and lost, 44–27.^[57]

In Dorrell's fifth season at UCLA, with 20 returning starters and a team of his own recruits, hopes were high for the Bruins in 2007.^[12] After starting the season with a couple of wins overStanford andBYU, and achieving a No. 11AP Poll ranking, however, UCLA stumbled against an injured, winless, and unrankedUtah team, 44–6.^[59] Four weeks later, Dorrell's Bruins fell again; this time 20–6 to an unranked, winlessNotre Dame team.^[60] The Bruins did, however, post wins against seemingly more difficult Pac-10 opponents, including a No. 10 Cal team. However; the bad taste of losses to teams the Bruins were favored to beat (including an embarrassing 27–7 loss toWashington State) raised questions about Dorrell's play-calling and ability to motivate his players.^[12] After the Washington State loss, UCLA Athletic DirectorDan Guerrero addressed UCLA's inconsistent football performances for the first time, stating "I will be very interested to see how we finish the season. And you can use that."^[12] Many took this as a hint that Dorrell's job might be in serious jeopardy.^[61] The Bruins would go on to lose toArizona andArizona State by a combined score of 58–47, but surprisingly shut out an Oregon Ducks team that a week earlier lost starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy CandidateDennis Dixon to a knee injury. Heading into the final game of the regular season against crosstown-rival USC, the Bruins still had an outside chance at a Rose Bowl berth that might have saved Dorrell's job; with a victory over USC and some help from Arizona (with a win over ASU), the Bruins could have been the first-ever five-loss team to play in the Rose Bowl. It wasn't to be, however, and the Bruins finished the 2007 Regular season with a miserable offensive performance in a 24–7 loss to USC and a record of 6–6.^[62]

On December 3, 2007, Los Angeles papers and theAssociated Press reported that Karl Dorrell was fired during a meeting with athletic director Dan Guerrero.^[63] Dorrell was offered the choice, but decided not to coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. Defensive coordinatorDeWayne Walker served as interim coach for the game, where UCLA lost to BYU.^[64]

On December 29, 2007,Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinatorRick Neuheisel, formerly head coach atColorado andWashington, was brought back to his alma mater and hired as UCLA's 15th head football coach after his former Bruins teammate Dorrell was fired.^[65] Neuheisel coined the phrase "Passion Bucket" during an interview onThe Dan Patrick Show by saying, "When you're at UCLA, you have to have your passion bucket full when you play the Trojans."^[66]

Neuheisel had his first win on September 1 as the Bruins' head coach as they defeated No. 18Tennessee, 27–24.^[67] The win came in overtime as Tennessee's field goal try sailed wide left.^[68] However, the team's momentum came to a halt in successive weeks. A brutal 59–0 defeat on the road at the hands of No. 15BYU was followed by a disappointing 31–10 loss at home to unrankedArizona in the Bruins' Pac-10 opener.^[67] The UCLA offense failed to score a touchdown in either contest. The team finished the season 4–8 overall and 3–6 in conference.^[67]

Despite this record, Neuheisel was still able secure the fifth-best recruiting class in the nation in 2009 as rated byScout.com. The class was headlined by Morrell Presley, Randall Carroll, offensive linemen Xavier Sua-Filo and Stan Hasiak, and running back Damien Thigpen. The 2009 season showed signs of improvement, with a potential bright future ahead, finishing 7–6 with a bowl winover Temple. The UCLA 2010 recruiting class was strong, as Neuheisel swayed many recruits away from USC. Nevertheless, the Bruins fell to 4–8 in 2010, losing six of their last seven games and failing to receive a bowl berth. Player injuries and other attrition depleted UCLA of its roster depth, while true freshmen were forced into action and seniors who were previously reserves became starters; a quarterback who had attempted only 17 passes in his career became the starter.^[69] At the end of the season Neuheisel fired two assistant coaches, including Chow, and said he would "be crushed ... if we're not going to a bowl game a year from now."^[70] The2011 season brought about continued mediocre performance, although the team's record improved to 6–6 in regular season play.^[71] Despite the lackluster overall record, the Bruins won the first Pac-12 South Division title, as crosstown rival USC was ineligible due to NCAA sanctions.^[71] A 50–0 shutout loss to USC to end the regular season—UCLA's fifth consecutive loss to the Trojans—prompted speculation that Neuheisel would be fired. Neuheisel was fired as head coach of UCLA on November 28, 2011.^[72] He was allowed to coach his final game at the December 2,Pac-12 Conference football Championship game, where the team lost 49–31 to the Oregon Ducks.^[73]

On December 10, 2011, UCLA athletics directorDan Guerrero announced the hiring of formerAtlanta Falcons andSeattle Seahawks head coach,Jim L. Mora, as the Bruins' 16th head football coach.^[74] Mora signed a three-year contract.^[75] The results of the new regime came early, as UCLA landed a consensus No. 12 ranked recruiting class in 2012 after having a class ranked in the high 40s at Neuheisel's departure.^[76][77] In Mora's first season, the Bruins finished 9–5 capped with a loss in the2012 Holiday Bowl.^[78]

In Mora's second season, the Bruins improved to 10–3, capping the season with a victory in the2013 Sun Bowl.^[79] Behind the leadership of quarterbackBrett Hundley, the Bruins came within one game of reaching the Pac-12 championship game and beat crosstown rivals USC for the second straight year.^[75] In 2014, the Bruins finished 10–3 again.^[80] The team beat rivalUSC for the third straight year^[81] and won theAlamo Bowl againstKansas State.^[82]Paul Perkins led the Pac-12 in rushing with 1,575 yards.^[83]

Mora's fourth season in 2015 saw the arrival of freshman quarterbackJosh Rosen, a rash of injuries, and erratic play by the offense.^[84] The Bruins finished 8–5,^[85] including a loss toNebraska in theFoster Farms Bowl.^[86] The Bruins finished 4–8 in2016.^[87] In the2017 season opener, Rosen completed 35 of 59 passes for 491 yards and four touchdowns to rally UCLA to a 45–44 win overTexas A&M.^[88] The Bruins overcame a 34-point deficit, the largest comeback in school history and the second-most ever in theFootball Bowl Subdivision (FBS).^[a] On November 19, 2017, UCLA announced the firing of Mora following 23–28 loss toUSC at the Coliseum.^[90]

On November 25, 2017, formerOregon andPhiladelphia Eagles head coachChip Kelly was hired as the head football coach at UCLA.^[91] He had also interviewed for theFlorida head coach position.^[92] Kelly arrived with a reputation as an offensive mastermind who had overseen explosive and very successful teams at Oregon.^[93][94] Kelly signed a five-year contract worth $23.3 million.^[95] In his first season in2018, the Bruins began the year 0–5 for the first time since1943.^[96] However, they later defeatedUSC to snap a three-game losing streak againsttheir crosstown rivals.^[97] UCLA finished the season with a 3–9 record, their worst since going 2–7–1 in1971.^[98]

Thenext season, the Bruins started 0–3, with losses toCincinnati,San Diego State, and No. 5Oklahoma, all by multiple scores. Under Kelly, the Bruins started 0–3 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since1920–1921. The 0–3 start to the 2019 season gave Kelly the worst 15-game start as a UCLA football coach sinceHarry Trotter^{[citation needed]}. However, when the Bruins played No. 19Washington State the following week, they erased a 49–17 deficit and won, 67–63. The 32-point comeback was the third-largest inFBS history.^[99] Two weeks after the win over Washington State, the Bruins lost at home toOregon State by a score of 48–31. This was only the Beavers' third road win over a Pac-12 opponent since 2014, and their largest road win over a Pac-12 opponent since their 49–17 win atCalifornia in 2013. The loss dropped the Bruins to a 1–5 record for the second consecutive year. After a bye week, the Bruins traveled toStanford and defeated the Cardinal, 34–16. UCLA got its first win over Stanford since2008, snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Cardinal. In the victory, the Bruins rushed for 263 yards on an average of 6.1 yards per carry, and they held the Cardinal to 198 total yards and just 55 rushing yards. On January 14, 2022, UCLA and Kelly agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension.^[100]

On March 3, 2023, UCLA Athletic Director,Martin Jarmond agreed to terms with Chip Kelly to sign a two-year contract extension that would have kept him with the Bruins through the 2027 season.^[101] Athletic Director Martin Jarmond cited the importance of coaching continuity while the program moved to the Big-10 Conference.^[102] However, on February 6, 2024, Kelly stepped down after six seasons leading the Bruins to become offensive coordinator for Ohio State.^[103] The departure in February left the program in a challenging situation due to the present recruiting and transfer portal timeline. While Kelly's tenure ended with a winning record (35–34), critics cite Kelly's failure to capitalize on Southern California recruiting and ability to stimulate interest with the fanbase. Many pundits and fans questioned Athletic Director Martin Jarmond's decision to retain Kelly while the program stagnated, but Jarmond pointed to the strong academic culture Kelly built while at UCLA.^[104]

DeShaun Foster was hired as the head football coach at UCLA on February 12, 2024.^[105] Although Kelly's untimely departure after the close of the transfer portal period left Foster in a difficult position for the upcoming year, Foster exceeded offseason expectations by retaining the majority of the roster and improving the state of UCLA's NIL Collective. Foster faced a slow start to the2024 season, which included away losses to LSU in Death Valley and #4 Penn State in Happy Valley as well as home losses to #1 Oregon and #8 Indiana at the Rose Bowl.^[106] Despite being underdogs in each of their final games, the Bruins finished their season strong winning four of their last five games, including wins over Iowa, Fresno State, Rutgers, and Nebraska.^[107]

On September 14, 2025, after an 0–3 start to his second season, Foster was fired by UCLA. He finished his head coaching tenure with a 5–10 record.^[108]

• Independent (1919)
• Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1920–1927)
• Pac-12 Conference (1928–2024)
  • Pacific Coast Conference (1928–1958)
  • Athletic Association of Western Universities (1959–1967)
  • Pacific-8 Conference (1968–1977)
  • Pacific-10 Conference (1978–2010)
  • Pac-12 Conference (2011–2024)
• Big Ten Conference (2024–present)^[109]

UCLA won theCoaches' Pollnational championship in1954 (shared withOhio State who finished No. 1 in the finalAP Poll).^[110]: 113 This consensus national championship is claimed by the school.^{[110]: 120 [111]}

UCLA has won 17 conference championships as of the 2023 season.^[111]: 101

† Co-champions

UCLA has won two division championships as of 2023.^[111]: 101

UCLA has had 19 head coaches.^[111]

The Bruins enjoy an annual rivalry with an in-state conference foe, the California Golden Bears. The rivals have faced each other 88 times, every year starting in 1933. As of November 28, 2017, UCLA leads the all-time series against Cal, 57–34-1.^{[citation needed]}Future contests of this rivalry is unknown, due to both schools leaving the Pac-12.

The West Coast in-state rivals have spent much of their respective athletics histories as members of the same conference; first thePacific Coast Conference from 1925 to 1958 followed by the various predecessors of the modern dayPac-12 Conference from 1959 to 2023.^[112][113] The teams met annually from 1946 to 2023 without interruption. The rivalry has seen its fair share of excitement throughout its history,^[114] but reached its peak in the 21st century when both teams were consistently ranked in the top 25 and had numerous competitive games against each other.^[115] With the collapse of the Pac-12 following the 2023 season, which resulted in Stanford leaving to join theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and UCLA accepting an invitation to join theBig Ten Conference,^{[116][117][118][119]} the annual series between the Cardinal and Bruins was put on hiatus. As of August 2025, there are no plans for the schools to meet again on the football field.

UCLA's rivalry with USC is unusual in that they are one of a few pairs ofDivision I FBS programs that share a major city. Both are within theLos Angeles city limits, approximately 10 miles (16 km) apart. Until 1982, the two schools also shared the same stadium: theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The crosstown rivals play each year for city bragging rights and the Victory Bell, and (historically) often for the right to go to theRose Bowl. USC leads the all-time series (2 Southern Cal victories vacated by the NCAA).^[120]

TheRose Bowl is aNational Historic Landmark located inPasadena, California with an official capacity of 92,542. It has been the home football field for the UCLA Bruins since the 1982 season. The Bruins had played their home games at theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum after joining the Pacific Coast Conference in 1928.

An on-campus facility was discussed, but faced significant political opposition, including from the governor at the time,Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown Sr.^[121] The Bruins had second priority in schedule at the Coliseum after the Trojans, but before theLos Angeles Rams.^[121] A 44,000-seat stadium on campus appeared in the 1963 Long range Plan,^[122] at the site whereDrake Stadium eventually was built.^[121] However, the proposal was blocked by influential area residents, as well as other politicians.^{[123][124][121]} In addition, the Coliseum already was constructed by and is a facility of the State of California. When theOakland Raiders became the Los Angeles Raiders in1982, and after arduous negotiations with the city of Pasadena, UCLA decided to move out of the Coliseum, relocating its home games to the Rose Bowl in1982.^[125] The Raiders had demanded control of the facility and luxury box revenue at the Coliseum. UCLA has participated in five Rose Bowl games since moving to the stadium, including the1983 Rose Bowl at the end of the Bruins' first season there. In 1995, UCLA and the then Los Angeles Raiders almost became partners with theNational Football League in a new stadium atHollywood Park but the deal to build a stadium there was scuttled when Raiders ownerAl Davis refused to accept a second NFL team at the proposed facility.^[126]

From 1919 to 1927, the Bruins (then known as the Cubs) used Moore Field at the Vermont Ave. campus of the "Southern Branch of the University of California."^[127]

In November 2025, it was reported that the Bruins were planning on breaking their lease with the Rose Bowl to move toSoFi Stadium inInglewood, the current home of theLos Angeles Rams andLos Angeles Chargers. The move has been met with negative reception from fans and analysts as well as a lawsuit from the city of Pasadena.^[128]

The on-campus practice facility for the football team is Spaulding Field, which has two football fields, one grass and oneartificial turf, or synthetic turf.

TheWasserman Football Center, built immediately west of Spaulding Field, was dedicated on August 1, 2017. Within the 75,000 square feet structure, there are training and treatment room, weight room, football facilities, the Troy Aikman Strength and Conditioning Center, and locker rooms. Also located in the center are coaches' offices, nutrition center, hydrotherapy pools, meeting rooms and the Terry and Andrea Donahue Team Auditorium. Other amenities include a barbershop, players' lounge, and recruiting lounge and terrace.

From 2004 to 2017, the official UCLA athletic colors were "True Blue" and gold. The "True Blue" is a slightly darker shade than the previous powder blue worn by teams.^[129]

In the early days of the school, UCLA had the same colors as theCalifornia Golden Bears: Yale Blue and California Gold.^[130] Blue symbolized the ocean, while gold represented thestate of California, known as the "Golden State".^[131]

Whenfootball coachRed Sanders came to UCLA for the 1949 season he redesigned the football uniforms. The Yale Blue was changed to a lighter shade of blue. Sanders figured that the baby blue would look better on the field and in film. He would dub the baby blue uniform "Powderkeg blue", powder blue with an explosive kick.^[131][132] For the 1954 season, Sanders added the now familiar loop on the shoulders, the UCLA Stripe, to give an impression of motion.^[133] The away uniforms became white, with a navy blue and gold shoulder stripe and gold pants. The helmets became gold.

At times, beginning with the 1954 football season, the font for the numbers on the uniforms has beenClarendon typeface. Otherwise it has been block numerals.^[133] In the 1980s the uniform pants became yellow to look better in color publications, the jerseys a lighter blue, and the UCLA script was added to the helmets. In the 1990s, the uniform pants became gold again.

In 2003, the True Blue colors were adopted.^[129] The away uniforms got true blue shoulder stripes and numbers in 2006,^[134] but were replaced by navy blue again in 2010.^[135]

In 2009, the Bruins wore a 1967 throwback uniform against Washington and USC, though against USC the team's normal helmet was worn.

In 2016, UCLA announced a 15-year partnership withUnder Armour. The largest Apparel deal in sports history at the time, covered all sports for UCLA and went into effect in the 2017 school year.

In 2020, Under Armour announced that they would be foregoing their partnership with UCLA, citing low return on investment. In response, UCLA sued for breach of contract.

Later in the year, UCLA announced a partnership withNike/Jordan. The 6-year partnership commenced in 2021.

Records below are updated as of October 6, 2025.

UCLA football had long had storied success over all the programs in their previous Pac-12 conference, with only 1 losing record to their rival USC, all time.

The chart below shows current all time records for the Bruins against their Big Ten opponents.

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Through2024, UCLA has played in 38 bowl games, compiling a 17–20–1 (.461) record.^[136]

In the early 1950s, thePacific Coast Conference (PCC) instituted a "no-repeat" rule for theRose Bowl afterCalifornia's third consecutive loss in January 1951. UCLA was adversely affected during the undefeated1954 season, which would have been the second of three consecutiveappearances. The rule was dropped by the succeedingAAWU (Big Five) in1959 (Washington won in1960 and1961), but the Big Ten kept it until the early 1970s.

The Pac-8 (and Big Ten) did not allow multiple bowl teams until the1975 season, in which theBruins won theRose Bowl. In their twelve Rose Bowl appearances, UCLA has won five; the last victory was in January1986 (third in four years), and the most recent appearance was in 1999.

UCLA became the first school to have a top winner in both basketball and football in the same year withGary Beban winning the Heisman Trophy andLew Alcindor (nowKareem Abdul-Jabbar) winning theU.S. Basketball Writers Association player of the year award in 1968.

The following former Bruins have been inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame.

• Donn Moomaw (1973)^[147]
• Jonathan Ogden (2012)^[148][149]
• Tommy Prothro (1991)^[150]
• Jerry Robinson (1996)^[151]
• Red Sanders (1996)^[152]
• John Sciarra (2014)^[153]
• Al Sparlis (1983)^[154]
• Kenny Washington (1956)^[155]

• Bob Stiles, 1966, DB
• John Sciarra, 1976, QB
• Don Rogers, 1983, FS
• Tom Ramsey, 1983, QB
• Rick Neuheisel, 1984, QB
• Eric Ball, 1986, TB

The following players have been honored withretired numbers.

Troy Aikman, Kenny Washington, Paul Cameron, and Jackie Robinson, four of the athletes who have their numbers retired by UCLA

Over 300 UCLA Bruins football players have gone on to play in theNational Football League (NFL).^[163] Six (6) of them have been inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame:

• Troy Aikman (2006)
• Kenny Easley (2017)
• Tom Fears (1970)
• Jimmy Johnson (1994)
• Jonathan Ogden (2013)
• Bob Waterfield (1965)^[164]

Twenty-three (23) former Bruins have appeared in at least 150 NFL games:

• Norm Johnson – 273 games (PK 1982–1999)^[165]
• Max Montoya – 223 games (OG 1979–1994)^[166]
• Jimmy Johnson – 213 games (DB 1961–1976)^[167]
• Roman Phifer – 212 games (LB 1991–2005)^[168]
• Marvcus Patton – 208 games (LB 1990–2002)^[169]
• Dave Dalby – 205 games (C 1972–1985)^[170]
• Donnie Edwards – 197 games (LB 1996–2008)^[171]
• Mark Tuinei – 195 games (OT 1983–1997)^[172]
• Ken Norton Jr. – 191 games (LB 1988–2000)^[173]
• Luis Sharpe – 189 games (OT 1982–1994)^[174]
• Randy Cross – 185 games (OL 1976–1988)^[175]
• Carnell Lake – 185 games (DB 1989–2001)^[176]
• Jerry Robinson – 184 games (LB 1979–1991)^[177]
• Jonathan Ogden – 177 games (OT/OG 1996–2007)^[178]
• Billy Kilmer – 170 games (QB 1961–1978)^[179]
• Marcedes Lewis – 170 games (TE 2006–present)^[180]
• Travis Kirschke – 169 games (DE 1997–2009)^[181]
• Duval Love – 167 games (OG 1985–1996)^[182]
• Fred McNeill – 167 games (LB 1974–1985)^[183]
• Mike Lodish – 166 games (DT 1990–2000)^[184]
• Troy Aikman – 165 games (QB 1989–2000)^[185]
• Bruce Davis – 160 games (OT 1979–1989)^[186]
• Don Shinnick – 159 games (LB 1957–1969)^[187]

UCLA football has long been carried byABC and more recently byESPN andFox on television. UCLA had no discretion on these, as they were decided by the Pac-12. When UCLA joined the Big Ten in 2024, their games were carried on Fox,CBS andNBC respectfully.

KABC (790 AM) in Los Angeles is the flagship radio station for UCLA football, replacingKLAC in 2025.^[188]New York Mets announcer Josh Lewin andMatt Stevens are the current broadcast team in the booth, along with sideline reporterWayne Cook, who is a former Bruin quarterback. Lewin replaced former announcer Bill Roth, who had taken over for Chris Roberts in 2015, after 27 years as the voice ofVirginia Tech football.

Former play-by-play announcers include John Rebenstorf (1991),^[189]Paul Olden (1989–1990),^[190]Joel Meyers (1984–1988),^[191]Kent Derdivanis (1983–1985),^[191] Fred Hessler (1961–1982),^[192] and Roy Storey. Former UCLA football analysts includeBilly Ray Smith (1997–2000),Steve Hartman (1996),^[193]David Norrie (1991–1995),^[194] John Rebenstorf (1990),^[195] Bob Steinbrinck (1972–1989),Bob Waterfield (1959), andSam Balter (1950–1958).

Announced schedules as of October 5, 2023.^[196]

Announced schedules as of October 5, 2023.^[197]

• Neutral site game
• P4 School is an opponent from aPower 4 Conference.
• FBS Ind. School is aDivision I FBS independent school
• G6 School is an opponent from aGroup of Six Conference
• FCS School is an opponent from theFootball Championship Subdivision

• ESPN College Football Encyclopedia (Pages 908–915)

Wikimedia Commons has media related toUCLA Bruins football.

• Official website

• UCLA Bruins football
• American football teams established in 1919
• 1919 establishments in California

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