California vs. UCLA

California and UCLA first met in 1933 and have played 95 times; officially, UCLA leads 59–⁠34–⁠1; as played, 59–⁠35–⁠1. Over the last 10 meetings it’s UCLA 7–⁠3. The NCAA vacated California’s win (1999); it doesn’t count officially. This page counts every game as it was played. By the rivalry’s Wikipedia article, UCLA leads 58–⁠35–⁠1 over 95 meetings; it counts UCLA’s 1977 win as a forfeit to California, a conference ruling the NCAA doesn’t recognize. Share

Scheduled 2027 at UCLA; 2028 at California; 2029 at UCLA. As the programs’ Wikipedia articles list them (CC BY-SA).

Official series: UCLA leads 59–⁠34–⁠1
California wins on file: 35
UCLA wins on file: 59
Ties: 1
First meeting: 1933
Longest streak: 18 UCLA
Current streak: 1 UCLA
Last 10 meetings: UCLA 7–⁠3
Most recent: 2026

The series at a glance

Every meeting by decade, colored by the winner
	’0	’1	’2	’3	’4	’5	’6	’7	’8	’9	W–L
1930s											4–⁠2–⁠1
1940s											9–⁠4
1950s											2–⁠8
1960s											2–⁠8
1970s											1–⁠9
1980s											0–⁠10
1990s											6–⁠4
2000s											6–⁠4
2010s											4–⁠6
2020s											1–⁠4

Both ranked: 6 meetings: California 4, UCLA 2
Average margin: 16.4 points; 28 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At California: 21–⁠26 California’s record at home
At UCLA: 33–⁠14–⁠1 UCLA’s record at home
Shutouts: 15

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

California’s biggest win1992: California 48, UCLA 12by 36 points
UCLA’s biggest win1965: UCLA 56, California 3by 53 points
Upset1999: California 17, UCLA 0California had a 18% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
Upset2023: California 33, UCLA 7California had a 27% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
Upset2018: UCLA 37, California 7UCLA had a 30% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
Ranked showdown1952: UCLA 28, California 7No. 7 UCLA at No. 11 California
Ranked showdown1949: California 35, UCLA 21No. 4 California at No. 20 UCLA
Ranked showdown1950: California 35, UCLA 0No. 19 UCLA at No. 6 California

Coach against coach

Years	California	Series	UCLA
1935–⁠1938	Stub Allison	3–⁠1	William Spaulding
1939–⁠1944	Stub Allison	5–⁠3	Babe Horrell
1949–⁠1956	Pappy Waldorf	2–⁠6	Red Sanders
1960–⁠1963	Marv Levy	1–⁠3	Bill Barnes
1965–⁠1970	Ray Willsey	1–⁠5	Tommy Prothro
1978–⁠1981	Roger Theder	0–⁠4	Terry Donahue
1982–⁠1986	Joe Kapp	0–⁠5	Terry Donahue
1987–⁠1991	Bruce Snyder	2–⁠3	Terry Donahue
1992–⁠1995	Keith Gilbertson	3–⁠1	Terry Donahue
1997–⁠2001	Tom Holmoe	2–⁠3	Bob Toledo
2003–⁠2007	Jeff Tedford	2–⁠3	Karl Dorrell
2008–⁠2011	Jeff Tedford	3–⁠1	Rick Neuheisel
2013–⁠2016	Sonny Dykes	1–⁠3	Jim Mora
2018–⁠2023	Justin Wilcox	2–⁠4	Chip Kelly

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from California’s side (Allison 3–⁠1 against Spaulding). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Keisean Lucier-South UCLA	6 tackles, 2 sacks, 3.5 for loss, 1 INT, 1 TD	2018 Defense
Jordan Lasley UCLA	12 catches, 227 yards, 1 TD	2017 Receiving
Geoff McArthur California	9 catches, 163 yards, 2 TD	2004 Receiving

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).

From the newspapers

1937 · The Daily Alaska empire, Alaska, Nov 1, 1937
1941 · Imperial Valley press, Nov 3, 1941
1942 · The Daily Alaska empire, Alaska, Oct 19, 1942
1943 · Evening star, Oct 17, 1943
1943 · Imperial Valley press, Nov 15, 1943

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

On television

2026

ESPN

1.1 million viewers

Viewers: Nielsen, as compiled by nschultz7’s ratings tracker.

Photos

Adam Mohammed stiff-arms Ta’Shawn James at the UCLA Bruins at California Golden Bears football game on September 5, 2026Photo: Jesse Kornblum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The 2026 game
Anthony Sacca at the UCLA Bruins at California Golden Bears football game on September 5, 2026Photo: Jesse Kornblum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The 2026 game
Aiden Gobaira at the UCLA Bruins at California Golden Bears football game on September 5, 2026Photo: Jesse Kornblum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The 2026 game
AJ Tuitele at the UCLA Bruins at California Golden Bears football game on September 5, 2026Photo: Jesse Kornblum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The 2026 game
Cal on offense during a road game against the California Golden Bears in Berkeley. The Golden Bears won 35–⁠7.Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The 2010 game
Cal on offense during a road game against the California Golden Bears in Berkeley. The Golden Bears won 35–⁠7.Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The 2010 game

From the rivalry’s and its games’ categories on Wikimedia Commons (free licenses only, each credited).

Every game

Sep 5, 2026	UCLA 45, California 24	at California
Nov 25, 2023	California 33, UCLA 7	at UCLA
Nov 25, 2022	17UCLA 35, California 28	at California
Nov 27, 2021	UCLA 42, California 14	at UCLA
Nov 15, 2020	UCLA 34, California 10	at UCLA
Nov 30, 2019	California 28, UCLA 18	at UCLA
Oct 13, 2018	UCLA 37, California 7	at California
Nov 24, 2017	UCLA 30, California 27	at UCLA
Nov 26, 2016	California 36, UCLA 10	at California
Oct 22, 2015	UCLA 40, 20California 24	at UCLA
Oct 18, 2014	UCLA 36, California 34	at California
Oct 12, 2013	11UCLA 37, California 10	at UCLA
Oct 6, 2012	California 43, 25UCLA 17	at California
Oct 29, 2011	UCLA 31, California 14	at UCLA
Oct 9, 2010	California 35, UCLA 7	at California
Oct 17, 2009	California 45, UCLA 26	at UCLA
Oct 25, 2008	California 41, UCLA 20	at California
Oct 20, 2007	UCLA 30, 10California 21	at UCLA
Nov 4, 2006	10California 38, UCLA 24	at California
Oct 8, 2005	20UCLA 47, 10California 40	at UCLA
Oct 16, 2004	8California 45, UCLA 28	at California
Oct 18, 2003	UCLA 23, California 20	at UCLA
Oct 19, 2002	California 17, UCLA 12	at California
Oct 20, 2001	UCLA 56, California 17	at UCLA
Oct 14, 2000	California 46, 13UCLA 38	at California
Oct 16, 1999	California 17, UCLA 0vacated	at UCLA
Oct 24, 1998	2UCLA 28, California 16	at California
Oct 25, 1997	13UCLA 35, California 17	at UCLA
Oct 26, 1996	UCLA 38, California 29	at California
Oct 28, 1995	24UCLA 33, California 16	at UCLA
Oct 8, 1994	California 26, UCLA 7	at California
Sep 4, 1993	California 27, UCLA 25	at UCLA
Oct 31, 1992	California 48, UCLA 12	at California
Oct 5, 1991	18California 27, 24UCLA 24	at UCLA
Oct 20, 1990	California 38, UCLA 31	at California
Sep 30, 1989	UCLA 24, California 6	at UCLA
Oct 15, 1988	2UCLA 38, California 21	at California
Oct 24, 1987	8UCLA 42, California 18	at UCLA
Oct 18, 1986	19UCLA 36, California 10	at California
Oct 26, 1985	17UCLA 34, California 7	at UCLA
Oct 20, 1984	UCLA 17, California 14	at California
Oct 22, 1983	UCLA 20, California 16	at UCLA
Oct 23, 1982	11UCLA 47, California 31	at California
Oct 24, 1981	UCLA 34, California 6	at UCLA
Oct 25, 1980	3UCLA 32, California 9	at California
Oct 20, 1979	UCLA 28, California 27	at UCLA
Oct 21, 1978	10UCLA 45, California 0	at California
Oct 22, 1977	UCLA 21, 15California 19	at UCLA
Oct 23, 1976	4UCLA 35, California 19	at California
Oct 25, 1975	19UCLA 28, California 14	at UCLA
Oct 26, 1974	UCLA 28, 20California 3	at California
Oct 27, 1973	13UCLA 61, California 21	at UCLA
Oct 21, 1972	11UCLA 49, California 13	at California
Oct 23, 1971	California 31, UCLA 24	at UCLA
Oct 17, 1970	19UCLA 24, California 21	at California
Oct 18, 1969	8UCLA 32, California 0	at UCLA
Oct 19, 1968	California 39, UCLA 15	at California
Oct 14, 1967	4UCLA 37, California 14	at UCLA
Oct 22, 1966	3UCLA 28, California 15	at California
Oct 23, 1965	UCLA 56, California 3	at UCLA
Oct 31, 1964	UCLA 25, California 21	at California
Nov 2, 1963	California 25, UCLA 0	at UCLA
Nov 3, 1962	UCLA 26, California 16	at California
Nov 4, 1961	UCLA 35, California 15	at UCLA
Nov 5, 1960	15UCLA 28, California 0	at California
Oct 17, 1959	UCLA 19, California 12	at UCLA
Nov 8, 1958	California 20, UCLA 17	at California
Nov 2, 1957	UCLA 16, California 14	at UCLA
Oct 20, 1956	UCLA 34, California 20	at California
Oct 29, 1955	UCLA 47, California 0	at UCLA
Oct 30, 1954	3UCLA 27, California 6	at California
Oct 31, 1953	10UCLA 20, California 7	at UCLA
Nov 1, 1952	7UCLA 28, 11California 7	at California
Nov 3, 1951	UCLA 21, 9California 7	at UCLA
Nov 11, 1950	6California 35, 19UCLA 0	at California
Oct 29, 1949	4California 35, 20UCLA 21	at UCLA
Nov 6, 1948	5California 28, UCLA 13	at California
Nov 1, 1947	14California 6, 19UCLA 0	at UCLA
Oct 19, 1946	4UCLA 13, California 6	at California
Nov 24, 1945	California 6, 12UCLA 0	at California
Oct 13, 1945	UCLA 13, California 0	at UCLA
Nov 11, 1944	UCLA 7, California 0	at UCLA
Sep 30, 1944	California 6, UCLA 0	at California
Nov 13, 1943	California 13, UCLA 6	at California
Oct 16, 1943	California 13, UCLA 0	at UCLA
Oct 17, 1942	UCLA 21, California 0	at California
Nov 1, 1941	California 27, UCLA 7	at UCLA
Oct 19, 1940	California 9, UCLA 7	at California
Nov 4, 1939	19UCLA 20, California 7	at UCLA
Oct 15, 1938	California 20, UCLA 7	at California
Oct 30, 1937	1California 27, UCLA 14	at UCLA
Oct 17, 1936	UCLA 17, California 6	at California
Nov 2, 1935	California 14, UCLA 2	at UCLA
Oct 20, 1934	California 3, UCLA 0	at California
Nov 4, 1933	UCLA 0, California 0	at UCLA

Every game is listed as played on the field; a win the NCAA later vacated is marked “vacated”; the official series above counts them the NCAA’s way.