Why Do We Hate UCLA So Much?

By Kelly Kinas ‘16

It is a known fact that there is a cross town rivalry between the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles. USC vs. UCLA is a tale as old as time (as Beauty and the Beast would say it). But what I have always wondered WHY. USC is always against UCLA. Everything is “Well, at least we’re not UCLA.”

This is an investigative report on why we hate UCLA, in case anyone is wondering.

Let’s go over some basic facts about both schools, just so we all have the same base of knowledge.

USC

USC is a private university that has a population of about 43,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The founding year was 1880. USC’s city is Los Angeles and their colors are Cardinal and Gold.

UCLA

UCLA is a public university that has a population of about 43,000 undergraduate and graduate students.. Their founding year was 1927 (The year it became UCLA; the university was known as different names from 1882-1927). UCLA’s city is Los Angeles and their colors are UCLA Blue and UCLA Gold.

If it is not already obvious, USC has a lot in common with UCLA when looking strictly at facts, which would automatically put us at odds. We’re in the same geographic area, Los Angeles, even though we are in different parts of Los Angeles. We are both top tier universities, in similar rankings no matter what poll you look into but here is an exhaustive list of why USC hates dislikes UCLA so much.

• We are literally fighting over the same city.
  
• We both have Gold as color. Instant rivalry.
• UCLA used to be a higher ranked university until USC started moving up
• USC used to have a higher ranked athletics program until UCLA starting moving up in the athletic field
• USC still has the most successful football program in the country
• But UCLA has beat USC in head to head football contests the past 4 years

^^ Sometimes how USC feels defending the football team. We just know we’re better. That specific game does say anything, really.

• Technically, UCLA has more NCAA Division-1 sanctioned team championships with 112.
  
• USC has 100, which is still good.
• Despite this, USC has won the crosstown rivalry football game more times overall (44-31), which we really care about. If we can revert back to overall records, we’re good. 
• We’re just not gonna talk about basketball because we already know USC doesn’t have the best men’s basketball team.
• Just for the record, UCLA has won 31 conference championships.
• USC has won 7.
• In women’s basketball, UCLA has won the AIAW championship once
• USC has won two NCAA Women’s Division 1 Basketball Championships
• Baseball overall is just sad for UCLA
• USC has be the premier team in college baseball with 21 appearance in the College World Series and 12 titles.
• UCLA has appeared 5 times, winning only once.

^^^ lol sorry not sorry UCLA

• Women’s soccer, on the other hand, has been dominated by UCLA
  
• The record for UCLA vs USC 22-5-1
• Tennis is a different story though!
• USC has won 21 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships
• UCLA has only won 16.
• USC has won 5 of the 6, while UCLA’s most recent Championship was in 2005
• Overall, UCLA has done better in Men’s Volleyball
• UCLA has won 19 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championships
• USC has won 4 NCAA titles.
• In women’s volleyball, UCLA has won four NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships in Division 1
• USC has won 3
• (We’re doing better this year though so we could possibly tie it up)
• OVERALL: USC leads the all-time all-sport record 967-922-10
• (the fact that someone counted this all up is quite impressive and also kinda sad)
• USC leads in Baseball, Football, Track & Field, and Swimming for Men
• USC leads in Basketball, Swimming, and Rowing for Women
• SO OVERALL: WE ARE BETTER ATHLETICALLY

More good news to come!!

• USC leads in Olympic Athlete medal count (258-241)
  
• A USC Trojan has been a Gold medal winner in every summer Olympics since 1912 (in case you were wondering)
• Random side note: The rivalry is also of the geopolitical rivalry based upon the locations of the schools
• IE Westwood being super fancy with an In-n-Out and USC being closer to Downtown Los Angeles, which is usually seen as a worse neighborhood.

Hopefully, this has been somewhat educational for everyone! I know a lot of people want to know why we hate UCLA so much. Our athletic programs are toe-to-toe in almost every sport but this is just a personification of our similar institutions and the highly academic and competitive environments of both institutions.

We’re better though, overall. Soooooooo

Fight on!