Who won the annual Crosstown Cup between UCLA and USC

The Crosstown Cup is an annual competition between the athletic teams of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC), the two prominent universities located in Los Angeles, California.

UCLA v USC
UCLA v USC | Candice Ward/GettyImages

The rivalry between these two institutions dates back over a century and encompasses various sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and many others.

The history of the Crosstown Cup can be traced back to the early 20th century when UCLA and USC first began competing against each other in various sports. However, the formalization of the Crosstown Cup as an official competition came much later.

In 2007, the Los Angeles Sports Council introduced the Crosstown Cup as a means to officially recognize and celebrate the rivalry between UCLA and USC across multiple sports. The inaugural Crosstown Cup included competitions in 14 different sports, with each victory earning points for the respective university. The sports included in the initial competition ranged from football and basketball to lesser-known sports like water polo and rowing.

Over the years, the Crosstown Cup has become a highly anticipated event among fans of both universities, with bragging rights and city pride at stake. The competition fosters a sense of camaraderie and rivalry between the student-athletes, coaches, and fans of UCLA and USC.

The scoring system for the Crosstown Cup typically awards points based on head-to-head matchups between UCLA and USC teams in various sports throughout the academic year. The university with the most points at the end of the year is declared the winner of the Crosstown Cup. This year, UCLA did very well, and in eleven sports, the Bruins defeated USC in the head-to-head season series, earning their second Crosstown Cup in the previous three years.

While the specifics of the competition may have evolved over time, the essence of the Crosstown Cup remains rooted in the longstanding rivalry between UCLA and USC, making it a cherished tradition for both universities and the city of Los Angeles as a whole.

UCLA and USC field teams as each have the chance to earn 10 points toward the Crosstown Cup in each of the 19 sports in which both schools have teams competing in. The winner of the most head-to-head matches in a given sport receives all 10 points for that sport. If each school wins an equal number of games, the ten points are shared. In conference championship play, 10 points are awarded to the highest finisher between the two teams in sports without a scheduled head-to-head match.

  • Early Dominance: USC had a strong run from 2007-2008 to 2011-2012, winning five straight Cups.
  • Recent Victories: UCLA has secured two wins in the last three years, including a record-breaking performance in 2023-2024.

The Crosstown Cup adds another layer of excitement to the already heated rivalry between these two Los Angeles schools. These two schools look forward to competing against one another for years to come as they both are joining the Big Ten at the end of the summer.

Schedule

Schedule