The crosstown rivalry and all-sports competition between USC and UCLA will have a new presenting partner and trophy starting this fall. The Southern California BMW Centers will be the exclusive sponsor of the unique rivalry series and will present the winner with the SoCal BMW Crosstown Cup, formally known as The Gauntlet.

The SoCal BMW Crosstown Cup will be awarded annually to the athletic department with the most success against the other in head-to-head matchups in all sports during an academic year. Ten points are available for each of the 19 men’s and women’s sports (football, men’s and women’s basketball, and Olympic sports) in which the schools compete, with all 10 points for a single sport awarded to the winner of the most head-to-head contests in that sport (the 10 points are split if both schools win an equal amount of matchups in a sport). The highest finisher in Pac-12 championship play will determine who gets the 10 points in sports that don’t feature a head-to-head competition between the schools.

Whichever university has the most points at the end of the athletic year will be the winner of the SoCal BMW Crosstown Cup. It takes 100 points to clinch the trophy.

Only 10 miles separate USC and UCLA, making this the only rivalry in the nation that features two schools in the same city with such elite athletic traditions. USC and UCLA both rank among the top in virtually every collegiate sport. UCLA leads the nation with 110 NCAA team championships and 131 national championships. USC’s 100 NCAA and 122 total titles rank third and second, respectively, and the Trojans boast the most NCAA men’s championships with 84.

The USC-UCLA sports rivalry dates back to the 1920s, but the official head-to-head battle started in the 2001-02 season. USC holds a 9-4 advantage over UCLA in the all-time standings of the competition. Fans are encouraged to use the #UltimateRivalry hashtag throughout the competition.

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