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Victory Bell (UCLA–USC)
	UCLA Bruins USC Trojans
First meeting	September 28, 1929; USC, 76–0
Latest meeting	November 23, 2024; USC, 19–13
Next meeting	November 29, 2025, in Los Angeles, CA
Trophy	Victory Bell (since 1942)
Statistics
Meetings total	94
All-time series	USC leads, 51–34–7 (.592)
Trophy series	USC leads, 48–34–4 (.581)
Largest victory	USC, 76–0 (1929)
Longest win streak	UCLA, 8 (1991-1998)
Current win streak	USC, 1 (2024–present)

8km
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USC

UCLA

Locations of UCLA and USC

The Victory Bell is the trophy that is awarded to the winner of the UCLA–USC football rivalry game. The game is an American college football rivalry between the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans, part of the overall UCLA–USC rivalry.

The Victory Bell is a 295-pound (134 kg) brass bell that originally rang atop a Southern Pacific railroad locomotive. It is currently mounted on a special wheeled carriage.

History

The bell was given to the UCLA student body in 1939 as a gift from the school's alumni association.^[2]^[3] Initially, the UCLA cheerleaders rang the bell after each Bruin point. However, during the opening game of UCLA's 1941 season (through 1981, both schools used the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for home games), six members of USC's Trojan Knights (who were also members of the SigEp fraternity^[4]) infiltrated the Bruin rooting section, assisted in loading the bell aboard a truck headed back to Westwood, took the key to the truck, and escaped with the bell while UCLA's actual handlers went to find a replacement key. The bell remained hidden from UCLA students for more than a year, first in SigEp’s basement, then in the Hollywood Hills, Santa Ana, and other locations. At one point, it was even concealed beneath a haystack. Bruin students tried to locate the bell, but to no avail. A picture of the bell appeared in a USC periodical. Tension between UCLA and USC students rose as each started to play even more elaborate and disruptive pranks on the other. When the conflict caused the USC president to threaten to cancel the rivalry, a compromise was met: on November 12, 1942, the student body presidents of both schools, in front of Tommy Trojan, signed the agreement that the bell would be the trophy for the game.^[5]

The winner of the annual football game keeps the Victory Bell for the next year, and paints it the school's color: blue for UCLA or cardinal for USC.

Team traditions

UCLA

When the bell is in UCLA's possession, the carriage is sandblasted and painted "True Blue." While in the possession of UCLA, the bell is safeguarded by the UCLA Rally Committee.^[6]^[7] During UCLA home games at the Rose Bowl and whenever UCLA faces USC at the L.A. Coliseum, it resides on the field in front of the student section. It is rung by members of the Rally Committee after each score. The Bruins also ring the bell using a rope attached to the handle, swinging the whole bell, as opposed to the Trojan style of attaching a rope to the tongue or clapper on the inside of the bell. The bell also makes special appearances at rallies and athletic events. It has been used to accompany the UCLA Band during halftime shows. In particular the bell will make an appearance at a major gathering if the bell returns to UCLA.^[8]

USC

Before home games, when the bell is in USC's possession, it sits along Trousdale Parkway for fans to ring as they participate in the "Trojan Walk" to the L.A. Coliseum. During home games, and whenever USC faces UCLA at the Rose Bowl, the Victory Bell is displayed at the edge of the field for the first three quarters of the game. Members of the Trojan Knights ring the bell every time the Trojans score. The carriage is painted cardinal red.

Series record

The first victory for UCLA in the series occurred after the agreement over the Victory Bell, making the Bruins the first winner of the trophy. The Bruins made their post-season appearance after the 1942 season in the Rose Bowl. The teams played each other twice in the same season in 1943, 1944, and 1945, due to travel restrictions during World War II; of those six, USC won five and tied the other.

As of the 2023 season^[update], USC leads 50–34–7^[9]^[10] (record excludes two vacated USC wins due to NCAA penalty for violation of NCAA rules).^[10]^[9]^[11]^[12]^[13] Before the streak of seven Trojan wins, the Bruins had won the bell for the eight consecutive years from 1991–1998, the longest streak in the rivalry. There have been seven ties in the history of the series. In the event of a tie, the Victory Bell was retained by the last winner. With the institution of the overtime rule in FBS in 1996, the tie rule became obsolete. There has been one overtime game in the series in 1996.^[14]

Game results

From 1929 until 1981, the two teams played in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; the Rose Bowl became UCLA's home field in 1982.

UCLA victories	USC victories	Ties	Forfeits / Vacated wins

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	September 28, 1929	USC	USC	76–0
2	September 27, 1930	UCLA	USC	52–0
3	November 26, 1936	USC	Tie	7–7
4	December 4, 1937	USC	USC	19–13
5	November 24, 1938	USC	#14 USC	42–7
6	December 9, 1939	UCLA	Tie	0–0
7	November 30, 1940	USC	USC	28–12
8	December 6, 1941	UCLA	Tie	7–7
9	December 12, 1942	USC	#13 UCLA	17–14
10	September 25, 1943	UCLA	USC	20–0
11	November 27, 1943	USC	USC	26–13
12	September 23, 1944	USC	Tie	13–13
13	November 25, 1944	UCLA	#8 USC	40–13
14	September 21, 1945	UCLA	USC	13–6
15	December 1, 1945	USC	USC	26–15
16	November 23, 1946	UCLA	#4 UCLA	16–13
17	November 22, 1947	USC	#4 USC	6–0
18	November 20, 1948	UCLA	USC	20–13
19	November 19, 1949	USC	USC	21–7
20	November 25, 1950	UCLA	UCLA	39–0
21	November 24, 1951	USC	#18 UCLA	21–7
22	November 22, 1952	UCLA	#4 USC	14–12
23	November 21, 1953	USC	#5 UCLA	13–0
24	November 20, 1954	UCLA	#2 UCLA	34–0
25	November 19, 1955	USC	#5 UCLA	17–7
26	November 24, 1956	UCLA	USC	10–7
27	November 23, 1957	USC	UCLA	20–9
28	November 22, 1958	UCLA	Tie	15–15
29	November 21, 1959	USC	UCLA	10–3
30	November 19, 1960	UCLA	USC	17–6
31	November 25, 1961	USC	UCLA	10–7
32	November 24, 1962	UCLA	#1 USC	14–3
33	November 30, 1963	USC	USC	26–6
34	November 21, 1964	UCLA	USC	34–13
35	November 20, 1965	USC	#7 UCLA	20–16
36	November 19, 1966	UCLA	#8 UCLA	14–7
37	November 18, 1967	USC	#8 USC	21–20
38	November 23, 1968	UCLA	#1 USC	28–16
39	November 22, 1969	USC	#5 USC	14–12
40	November 21, 1970	UCLA	UCLA	45–20
41	November 20, 1971	USC	Tie	7–7
42	November 18, 1972	UCLA	#1 USC	24–7
43	November 24, 1973	USC	#9 USC	23–13
44	November 23, 1974	UCLA	#8 USC	34–9
45	November 28, 1975	USC	#14 UCLA	25–22
46	November 20, 1976	UCLA	#3 USC	24–14
47	November 25, 1977	USC	USC	29–27
48	November 18, 1978	UCLA	#5 USC	17–10

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
49	November 24, 1979	USC	#4 USC	49–14
50	November 22, 1980	UCLA	#18 UCLA	20–17
51	November 21, 1981	USC	#10 USC	22–21
52	November 20, 1982	Rose Bowl	#11 UCLA	20–19
53	November 19, 1983	Coliseum	UCLA	27–17
54	November 17, 1984	Rose Bowl	#7 UCLA	29–10
55	November 23, 1985	Coliseum	USC	17–13
56	November 22, 1986	Rose Bowl	#18 UCLA	45–25
57	November 21, 1987	Coliseum	USC	17–13
58	November 19, 1988	Rose Bowl	#2 USC	31–22
59	November 18, 1989	Coliseum	Tie	10–10
60	November 17, 1990	Rose Bowl	#19 USC	45–42
61	November 23, 1991	Coliseum	#25 UCLA	24–21
62	November 21, 1992	Rose Bowl	UCLA	38–37
63	November 20, 1993	Coliseum	#16 UCLA	27–21
64	November 19, 1994	Rose Bowl	UCLA	31–19
65	November 18, 1995	Coliseum	UCLA	24–20
66	November 23, 1996	Rose Bowl	UCLA	48–41^{(2 OT)}
67	November 22, 1997	Coliseum	#7 UCLA	31–24
68	November 21, 1998	Rose Bowl	#3 UCLA	34–17
69	November 20, 1999	Coliseum	USC	17–7
70	November 18, 2000	Rose Bowl	USC	38–35
71	November 17, 2001	Coliseum	USC	27–0
72	November 23, 2002	Rose Bowl	#7 USC	52–21
73	November 22, 2003	Coliseum	#2 USC	47–22
74	December 4, 2004	Rose Bowl	#1 USC†	29–24
75	December 3, 2005	Coliseum	#1 USC†	66–19
76	December 2, 2006	Rose Bowl	UCLA	13–9
77	December 1, 2007	Coliseum	#8 USC	24–7
78	December 6, 2008	Rose Bowl	#5 USC	28–7
79	November 28, 2009	Coliseum	#24 USC	28–7
80	December 4, 2010	Rose Bowl	USC	28–14
81	November 26, 2011	Coliseum	#10 USC	50–0
82	November 17, 2012	Rose Bowl	#17 UCLA	38–28
83	November 30, 2013	Coliseum	#22 UCLA	35–14
84	November 22, 2014	Rose Bowl	#11 UCLA	38–20
85	November 28, 2015	Coliseum	USC	40–21
86	November 19, 2016	Rose Bowl	#13 USC	36–14
87	November 18, 2017	Coliseum	#11 USC	28–23
88	November 17, 2018	Rose Bowl	UCLA	34–27
89	November 23, 2019	Coliseum	#23 USC	52–35
90	December 12, 2020	Rose Bowl	#15 USC	43–38
91	November 20, 2021	Coliseum	UCLA	62–33
92	November 19, 2022	Rose Bowl	#7 USC	48–45
93	November 18, 2023	Coliseum	UCLA	38–20
94	November 23, 2024	Rose Bowl	USC	19–13
Series: USC leads 51–34–7^[1]
† USC vacated 2004 and 2005 victories^[15]^[16]

References

^ ^a ^b "Winsipedia - UCLA Bruins vs. USC Trojans football series history". Winsipedia.
^ UCLA Alumni Association^[usurped]
^ UCLA Alumni Association About the Association^[usurped]. The Post-War Years, 1944 – 1953
^ "SigEp USC – Victory Bell".
^ Gong with the Wind UCLA Magazine, sourced from the UCLA History Project, October 1, 2006
^ "UCLA Rally Committee".
^ "UCLA Student Groups – Rally Committee: Statement of Purpose".
^ Tuesday, December 5, 2006, where it was rung by head football coach Karl Dorrell at a home basketball game to celebrate the recent victory over USC.
^ ^a ^b USC Trojans 2023 Football media guide. pg 114
^ ^a ^b UCLA Bruins 2023 Football media guide. pg 117
^ 2010 USC Football (PDF). USC Sports Information Office. 2010. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 26, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2011. The USC football program is on probation until June 9, 2014 for NCAA violations involving agent and amateurism issues, lack of institutional control, impermissible inducements, extra benefits, exceeding coach staff limits and unethical conduct. The penalties include: public reprimand and censure; four years of probation through June 9, 2014; post-season ban for the 2010 and 2011 seasons; one-year show cause penalty (through June 9, 2011) for an assistant football coach; vacation of wins from December 2004 through the 2005 season; limit of 15 initial scholarships and 75 total scholarships for each of the 2011– 12, 2012–13 and 2013–14 years; $5,000 fine; disassociation of a former football player; prohibit non-university personnel from traveling on team charters, attending practices and camps, and having access to sidelines and locker rooms. USC is appealing selected penalties.
^ USC ordered to vacate wins, gets bowl ban, docked 30 scholarships. June 10, 2010.
^ "2011 UCLA Football Media Guide" (PDF). pp. 62, 68. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2013.
^ "Welcome cfbdatawarehouse.com - BlueHost.com". www.cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2006.
^ "Forfeits and Vacated Games". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
^ "No. 16 USC Football Visits Crosstown Rival UCLA At Rose Bowl". USC Athletics. December 7, 2020. USC leads the series with crosstown rival UCLA, 48-32-7 (dating to 1929, a 76-0 Trojan win), not including Troy's 2004 and 2005 victories that were vacated due to NCAA penalty (original record: 50-32-7).