I was admitted to UCLA as a freshman and am curious about student life, but especially about football.
I grew up going to Michigan football games so am used to a college atmosphere surrounding football.
Can anyone tell me what going to football games at UCLA is like and how dedicated the student body is to athletics in general?
I think a major difference between UCLA football and most other college football teams is that the games are not on campus. The Bruins’ home stadium is the Rose Bowl, which is about a half hour away. There are buses that go from campus to the Rose Bowl, so getting there isn’t a problem. And if you’re going to have to go to games off campus, it might as well be at the Rose Bowl.
Tailgating there is great, but that’s more for when you’re older and have your own stuff like grills, tents, tables, and of course, alcohol. But as an undergraduate, you usually just show up a little bit before the game, hang out with people, and then go in.
Los Angeles in general is a front-running town. So when the team is great, people show up (this holds true for all of the teams, not just UCLA). There is a core of really dedicated UCLA fans, so if you’re into sports, you can get involved with them. The student section is called The Den, and the hardcore Den kids go to all of the sports, not just football and men’s basketball.
I think it’s a great part of UCLA student life. I wouldn’t say that the majority of students are into Bruin sports, but because it’s a big school, there are definitely a lot of students that always show up.
“the Rose Bowl, which is about a half hour away”
That’s a little optimistic with LA traffic. Also my impression is that there’s plenty of drinking before games for students and non-students alike (though there are cops around so caution is warranted).
The thing to note is that LA has lots of professional sports teams so college football is not that high on the list of sports events to follow for the general public. That contrasts with other college towns (including Ann Arbor) where the football game is the big event (and has the biggest and best stadium by far). So plenty of students are interested (at least when the team is good), but most of the general public are not.
Haha 30 minutes probably around 1 am in the morning.
UCLA has always been more of a basketball school, but even there the team has been pretty mediocre lately. The football team has had what, 2 good seasons this century? (Cal is even more mediocre).
Pac-12 is the conference of (non-revenue sports) champions. Right now they mediocre at fb and bb, very good in baseball, tennis, water polo, womens gymnastics. My D is a sports medicine intern, big Bruin supporter. If you broaden your interest a bit, there is plenty to cheer for.
Sports is a huge part of campus life! Since the games are off campus for football busses take students there. And it makes football a whole day event. Normal students take the school provided busses and go straight to the game. Greek life has their own busses. A fraternity and sorority usually pair and pregame then tailgate together at the rose bowl.
I guess it’s a half hour for me because I always get to the Rose Bowl at the crack of dawn (lots open at 6:30 am for a 12:30 pm game).
There is more football optimism with Chip Kelly. As with any sports, when the team goes through many losing seasons, then the excitement dwindles because in LA, there are many things to do and many alternatives. Overall UCLA 's football and basketball are relatively competitive in the PAC 12 Conference. Some years they are good and some years not so good.
I’ve been rooting for UCLA football and going to at least one game per year for years, even though I had no connection to the school. I just considered UCLA to be SoCal’s home college team. Now, in the fall my daughter will attend, and likely be in the marching band, so I can then say I do indeed have a connection. I’m originally from the NY/NJ area, and fans there are much more passionate about their local teams than they are in SoCal. In general, there is quite a bit of apathy from the SoCal fan base, but if a team is winning, the atmosphere is quite different. UCLA does seem to have a solid fan base of Alumni, and hey, the weather is always great. I like the overall experience even the fans’ passion isn’t always there.