UCLA Bruins

The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for UCLA. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I-A as part of the Pacific Ten Conference. Jackie Robinson, Troy Aikman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Ann Meyers are just some of the famous athletic alumni.

School colors

The UCLA school colors are "True Blue" and gold. The "True Blue" is a slightly darker shade than the previous powder blue worn by teams. The shade was developed by the UCLA athletic department and Adidas for the 2003 school year.

In the early days of the school, the colors were Navy blue and gold like the first University of California.

When football coach Red Sanders came to UCLA for the 1949 season he redesigned the football uniforms. Sanders added a gold loop on the shoulders, the UCLA Stripe. The navy 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 "Powder Keg Blue", powder blue with an explosive kick.

Sports facilities

Two notable sports facilities serve as home venues for UCLA sports. The Bruin football team plays home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California; the team won a national title in 1954. The men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams play at Pauley Pavilion on campus.

Championships

As of 2006, UCLA has won 119 national championships, including 99 NCAA championships, more than any other university. On May 14, 2006, the UCLA women's water polo team won the national final game against archrival USC, and secured the Bruins' 99th overall NCAA championship.

Football

In 1954, the UCLA Bruin Football team had a 9-0 record and was ranked number one in the UPI football poll. The Bruins have played in the Rose Bowl game 12 times with a 5-7 record overall. The Bruins have won or shared the conference title 17 times.

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Trophy is awarded each year to the finest player in college football; one UCLA player, Gary Beban, has won the award.

Basketball

Among these championships, some of the more notable victories are the men's basketball championships under coaches John Wooden and Jim Harrick. The rich legacy of UCLA basketball has produced 11 NCAA championships - 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1995. Holding the record for most basketball championships, however, is not the only incredible achievement possessed by UCLA's athletics program. From 1971 to 1974, UCLA men's basketball won an unprecedented 88 consecutive games, a record that many sports pundits consider unbreakable. Past rosters of UCLA basketball teams have been filled with such greats such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), Bill Walton, Reggie Miller and Baron Davis.

Other NCAA team championships

Besides the basketball championships, UCLA has won NCAA Division I championships in the following events:

Men's sports: Golf (1), Gymnastics (2), Soccer (4), Swimming (1), Tennis (16), Track and Field (8), Volleyball (19), Water Polo (8).

Women's sports: Golf (2), Gymnastics (5), Softball (10*), Track and Field (5), Volleyball (3), Water Polo (4).

• The Softball Team had to forfeit one of its national championships due to NCAA recruiting violations.

Olympic competitors

In addition to the success of its collegiate sports program, UCLA is always well represented at the Olympics. In the 2004 Athens games, UCLA sent 56 athletes, more than any other university in the country.

Spirit

The Bruin mascots are Joe and Josephine Bruin. The Solid Gold Sound of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band entertains the crowds at Bruin games. The school fight songs are "Sons of Westwood" and "The Mighty Bruins".

USC rivalry

UCLA shares a traditional sports rivalry with the nearby University of Southern California. This rivalry is relatively unique in NCAA Division I sports because both schools are located within the same city, Los Angeles. The Lexus Gauntlet is the name given to a competition between UCLA and the University of Southern California in the 18 varsity sports that both compete in head-to-head; in 2003 and 2005, UCLA won the Lexus Gauntlet Trophy, while the University of Southern California has won the trophy in 2002, 2004, and 2006.

UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame

In conjunction with the opening of the J.D. Morgan Athletics Center in November 1983, UCLA established an athletic Hall of Fame with 25 charter members representing a cross-section of the school's athletic history. Each year, a minimum of one and a maximum of eight former UCLA athletes, coaches or administrators are added to the Hall of Fame. Upon its 23rd year of existence, The Hall of Fame was moved to a new location facing Westwood Plaza. The new Hall of Fame is now double in size after its renovation and expansion, which was completed in the Winter of 2000. The first floor in the east wing of the new J.D. Morgan Athletics Center features the 8,000-square foot Athletics Hall of Fame and serves as the main entrance to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

1984 (25 charter members): Bill Ackerman, athletic director; Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), basketball; Arthur Ashe, tennis; Gary Beban, football; Mike Burton, swimming; Paul Cameron, football; Chris Chambliss, baseball; Elvin 'Ducky' Drake, track coach and trainer; Gail Goodrich, basketball; Walt Hazzard (Mahdi Abdul-Rahman), basketball; Cecil Hollingsworth, football scout and gymnastics and wrestling coach; Rafer Johnson, track; Kirk Kilgour, volleyball; Billy Kilmer, football; Donn Moomaw, football; J.D. Morgan, athletic director and tennis coach; Jackie Robinson, football, baseball, basketball and track; Henry 'Red' Sanders, football coach; Al Sparlis, football; Bill Spaulding, football coach; Bill Walton, basketball; Kenny Washington, football; Bob Waterfield, football; Keith (Jamaal) Wilkes, basketball; and John Wooden, basketball coach.

1985 (6): Bob Davenport, football; Craig Dixon, track; Wilbur Johns, athletic director/basketball coach; Tommy Prothro, football coach; George Stanich, basketball; and Sidney Wicks, basketball.

1986 (8): Kermit Alexander, football; Burr Baldwin, football; Keith Erickson, basketball; Mike Frankovich, football; Jimmy LuValle, track; Willie Naulls, basketball; Jerry Norman, basketball player and assistant coach; and Don Paul, football.

1987 (8): Don Barksdale, basketball; George Dickerson, football; Jack Ellena, football; Bert LaBrucherie, football; Dick Linthicum, basketball; Jim Salsbury, football; John Smith, track; Jack Tidball, tennis.

1988 (6): Sam Balter, basketball; Mel Farr Sr., football; Robert Fischer, athletic director; Marques Johnson, basketball; Ann Meyers , basketball; and C.K. Yang, track.

1989 (7): Pete Dailey, football; Tom Fears, football; Vic Kelley, sports information director, Carl McBain, track; Karen Moe-Thornton, swimming; Ernie Suwara, volleyball; and Pat Turner, track.

1990 (7): Evelyn Ashford, track; Dr. Bobby Brown, baseball; Stan Cole, water polo; Denny Crum, basketball; Norm Duncan, football/administration; Mike Marienthal, football/special service; Mike Warren, basketball.

1991 (7): Willie Banks, track; Kenny Easley, football; Brian Goodell, swimming; Briggs Hunt, wrestling; Tim Leary, baseball; Jerry Robinson, football; Sinjin Smith, volleyball.

1992 (9): Wayne Collett, track; Terry Condon, volleyball; Jim Johnson, football; Robin Leamy, swimming; Freeman McNeil, football; Dave Meyers, basketball; Jack Myers, baseball; Corey Pavin, golf; Woody Strode, football.

1993 (8): Sue Enquist, softball; Greg Foster, track; Maurice (Mac) Goodstein, football; Karch Kiraly, volleyball; Jose Lopez, soccer; Don Manning, football; Bill Putnam, basketball; Curtis Rowe, basketball.

1994 (7): Donald Bragg, basketball; Denise Curry, basketball; John Richardson, football; Larry Rundle, volleyball; John Sciarra, football; Kiki Vandeweghe, basketball; Peter Vidmar, gymnastics.

1995 (8): Jimmy Connors, tennis; Debbie Doom, softball; Mitch Gaylord, gymnastics; Ricci Luyties, volleyball; Stephen Pate, golf; John Peterson, football/track; Jerry Shipkey, football; Mike Tully, track.

1996 (7): Bill Barrett, swimming; Jackie Joyner-Kersee, track; Liz Masakayan, volleyball; Eddie Merrins, golf coach; Dot Richardson, softball; Skip Rowland, football; Dick Wallen, football.

1997 (8): Jim Bush, track coach; Paul Caligiuri, soccer; Tim Daggett, gymnastics; David Greenwood, basketball; Frank Lubin, basketball; Doug Partie, volleyball; Cal Rossi, football/baseball; Charles Young, chancellor.

1998 (12): Glenn Bassett, tennis coach; Sheila Cornell, softball; Randy Cross, football; Gaston Green, football; Florence Griffith-Joyner, track; Tom Jager, swimming; Eric Karros, baseball; Reggie Miller, basketball; Ken Norton Jr., football; Tom Ramsey, football; Art Reichle, baseball coach; Cy Young, track.

1999 (12): Troy Aikman, football; Sam Boghosian, football; Kay Cockerill, golf; Tracy Compton, softball; Denise Corlett, volleyball/basketball; Dave Dalby, football; Gail Devers, track; Bob Horn, water polo; Ernie Johnson, football; Torey Lovullo, baseball; Sharon Shapiro, gymnastics; Kevin Young, track.

2000 (10): Lucius Allen, basketball; Jeanne Beauprey-Reeves, volleyball; John Brenner, track and field; George Farmer, football; Kim Hamilton, gymnastics; Carnell Lake, football; Billie Moore, basketball; Steve Salmons, volleyball; Eddie Sheldrake, basketball; Dick Vermeil, football.

2001 (11):Jill Andrews, gymnastics; Sharron Backus, softball; Jim Brown, football; Charles Cheshire, football; Gary Cunningham, basketball; Terry Donahue, football; Warren Edmonson, track and field; John Green, basketball; John Lee, football; Lisa Longaker, softball; and Ozzie Volstad, volleyball.

2002 (9):Denny Cline, volleyball; Bob Day, track and field; Cobi Jones, soccer; Don MacLean, basketball; Shane Mack, baseball; Ted Narleski, football; Anita Ortega, basketball; Duffy Waldorf, golf; Russell Webb, water polo/swimming.

2003 (8):Danny Everett, track and field; Lisa Fernandez, softball; Brad Friedel, soccer; Ryan McGuire, baseball; Jerome "Pooh" Richardson, basketball; Don Rogers, football; Al Scates, volleyball; Tim Wrightman, football.

2004 (8):Henry Bibby, basketball; Dennis Dummit, football; Carlton Gray, football; Steve Lewis, track & field; James Owens, football/track & field; Sigi Schmid, soccer; Fred Slaughter, basketball; Natalie Williams, basketball/volleyball.

2005 (8):Hardiman Cureton, football; Dawn Dumble, track & field; Allen Fox, tennis; John Godina, track & field; Ed O'Bannon, basketball; Mike O'Hara, volleyball; Art Shurlock, gymnastics; Kenneth Washington, basketball.

2006 (8):Carol Bower, rowing; Herb Flam, tennis; Monte Nitzkowski, swimming/water polo; Jonathan Ogden, football/track and field; Annette Salmeen, swimming; Dennis Storer, soccer/rugby; John Vallely, basketball; Elaine Youngs, volleyball.

External links

• UCLA Bruins
• UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame