UCLA rivalry

The most prominent UCLA rivalry is with the University of Southern California (USC), encompassing several sports, notably football. UCLA’s other rivalries include UC Berkeley and the University of Arizona. For football history and statistics about UCLA versus USC matchups  via UCLA Athletics, click the link below.

UCLA and USC are both located in Los Angeles, California and moved together from the Pac-12 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) conference to the Big Ten conference in 2024. The two schools continue to face off annually in what’s known as the crosstown showdown football game.

The UC Berkeley and UCLA rivalry encompasses not only athletics but also academic prestige. UCLA was established initially as the Southern Branch of the University of California, which was based in Berkeley, according to UCLA Alumni. The athletic rivalry between the universities, before conference realignment in 2024, was a significant in-state competition.

Recently, a social media competition developed between the two schools over the U.S. News and World Report’s university rankings, with both universities claiming the number one spot, though on the national public universities list, UC Berkeley is ranked first place and UCLA is number two as of the 2025 rankings.

Another UCLA rivalry is between the UCLA and Arizona basketball teams. The men’s teams have played 113 games at the date of publishing, with UCLA leading in wins 64-50. The universities are no longer conference rivals since UCLA’s move to the Big Ten and Arizona’s move to the Big 12. However, the schools have decided to continue the rivalry, scheduling three games between 2024 and 2027. For more information about these games from UCLA Athletics, click the link here.