Sept. 11, 2012

The buzz around the UCLA football program is growing after last weekend's dramatic victory over Nebraska that catapulted the Bruins to a Top 25 ranking. With Houston coming to the Rose Bowl this Saturday, the Bruins will be facing a Cougar team that scored more than 40 points against Louisiana Tech ... Sounds like fans can expect an exciting and entertaining contest at the Arroyo.

Mora and the Bruins Record Important Win
Propelled by the offensive firepower of redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley and senior running back Johnathan Franklin, who were lifted by a young but talented offensive line, and a stellar defensive second half, the UCLA football program registered a 36-30 victory over Big Ten powerhouse Nebraska to open its home season at the Rose Bowl.

With the win, in front of more than 71,000 raucous fans at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins moved into the top 25 in both the Associated Press media poll and the USA Today coaches poll, the first time the Bruins have been ranked since the 2008 season.

Bruins Host Cougars Saturday Night in Pasadena
Coach Mora and the Bruins look to continue the momentum of their undefeated season this week when Conference USA's Houston Cougars come to town for the second meeting between the teams in as many seasons.

This week's game kicks off at 7:30 pm. Tickets are still available and start at just $19 apiece. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit UCLABruins.com or call 310-UCLA-WIN. The game also marks UCLA's first football game on the Pac-12 Networks, and the voice of the Bruins, Chris Roberts, and the rest of the IMG/UCLA radio crew will call the game on KTLK 1150 AM.

Fans attending the game are encouraged to stop by the revamped Fan Zone in Area H prior to entering the stadium. The new-look Fan Zone features Carl's Jr., the UCLA Store and several other new and enticing food vendors. Meanwhile, right next door, younger fans can enjoy the UCLA Health System Kids Zone, which features a football toss, multiple inflatables and many other UCLA-themed activities that will get them fired up about the game.

Please note that the UCLA-Oregon State football game on Saturday, September 22 at the Rose Bowl has been announced as a 12:30 pm kickoff; fans are asked to plan accordingly.

Olympic Sports Roundup
UCLA's Olympic Sports teams posted an undefeated weekend against very good competition and are looking forward to a repeat performance again this week:

• The #4-ranked women's soccer team played to a 1-1 tie with LMU Friday night and shut out Tennessee 1-0 Sunday at Drake Stadium. The Bruins are hosting the UCLA Soccer Classic this weekend, with games against Princeton and Pepperdine. The Pac-12 Networks will televise Sunday's 7 pm game against Pepperdine live.
• The #2-ranked women's volleyball team won three matches to capture the title at the Verizon Volleyball Challenge at Hawaii. The Bruins host Pepperdine Wednesday at the Wooden Center before hitting the road for a weekend match at Colorado State. The Pepperdine match will be televised live at 7 pm Wednesday night on the Pac-12 Networks.
• The #2-ranked UCLA men's water polo team concluded the Princeton Invitational with five victories and travels to Stanford to compete in the NorCal Tournament this week.
• The #12-ranked men's soccer team defeated Tulsa Friday and UC Irvine Sunday for its first weekend sweep of the season and will face LMU on Sunday just down the street in Westchester.

Pac-12 Networks Reach Deal With DISH Network
DISH Network and Pac-12 Networks announced last Saturday that they have entered into a multi-year agreement, effective immediately. DISH is the first satellite provider to offer the Networks.

The agreement allows DISH subscribers to enjoy the hundreds of live sporting events, including 35 football games, more than 140 men's basketball games, and hundreds of national championship caliber Olympic sporting events this season on Pac-12 Networks.

The deal leaves DIRECTV and Charter as two of the major television systems operators in the country to not carry the Pac-12 Networks. Bruin fans who are DIRECTV or Charter customers can tell them they want PAC-12 Networks in time for Saturday's UCLA-Houston football game by clicking here.

Pauley Pavilion Update
After nearly 30 months of construction, New Pauley Pavilion is less than two months away from Opening Weekend. Progress on the project is being made every day. In fact, in the last week alone, the wood flooring material was installed, the floor seating is close to being completed, much of the stadium seating was delivered, and carpeting was installed throughout the building.

The next four weeks will be a full sprint of work on all the building finishes to meet the deadline date. The first sporting event in the building will be the men's basketball game against Indiana State on Friday, November 9, and the women will play San Diego State the following evening.

For more information or to purchase tickets for either event, visit UCLABruins.com or call 310-UCLA-WIN.

With fall rapidly approaching, the leaves in the Northeastern corner of the United States are beginning to turn from green to an array of gorgeous colors. This area, of course, includes the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, where the landscape over the past few days was decidedly blue and gold.

Among the guests of honor and the inductees there last week were Bruins Jamaal Wilkes, Reggie Miller and Don Barksdale (represented by both his sons Don Jr. and Derek), who provided the heavy Westwood tilt.

While the focus was rightfully on them, it is important to note that they were surrounded by family members and other great Bruins the entire time, including Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Ann Meyers Drysdale and Bill Walton. I had the pleasure of attending both the press conference and the dinner that followed, where the inductees were presented with their distinctive Hall of Fame blazers.

As I sat in the audience when the inductees were introduced, I, of course, could not help but beam with pride. The inductees were glib, classy, and gracious.

As the evening's events proceeded, I fondly recalled watching Wilkes hit those jumpers in Pauley Pavilion while playing on some great Wooden-coached teams, featuring, among others, Walton, Bibby, Meyers and Nater. Everyone whom I spoke to about Jamaal's induction said that this distinction for him was long overdue. Of course, all of us who know Jamaal agree.

I remember Coach Wooden speaking so highly of Don Barksdale, not only for his playing ability, but for his great character. Don was one of the first true stars here at UCLA, and Coach always appreciated what he did for the program, on so many levels.

And then there is Reggie. This class included such recognizable legends as Chet (the Jet) Walker, Don Nelson (No. 1 on the all-time NBA coaches list for wins) and Virginia's Ralph Sampson. But everyone gravitated to Reggie. Fans, autograph seekers, even the cab drivers...while I was catching a cab to go to the Hall of Fame, my cab driver said, "Oh, you're going to the Naismith, yeah, Reggie is being inducted." The emcee at the press conference introduced Reggie as "one of the greatest clutch players to ever play the game" and said, "If Jerry West hadn't come along first, Reggie may have been the player featured as the NBA logo."

The dinner was capped off with a panel discussion featuring Kareem, Annie, Jamaal and Reggie talking about their UCLA experience and the influence that Coach had on each of their lives. Simply stated, the day was magical.

Go Bruins!

Dan Guerrero
UCLA Athletic Director

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