Nov. 20, 2012

Late November in Westwood ... It's the time that UCLA's fall sports are competing in the postseason, while the winter teams get their schedules underway. The calendar is the most compacted it is all year, but that also means plenty of games in several sports with a lot on the line.

This week specifically, though, it's also the time to take a minute to reflect on the blessings in our lives. Luckily, we have a national holiday that encourages us to do just that - Thanksgiving.

With that in mind, the Word from Westwood staff decided to take a different approach this week. We will continue to share all of the goings-on this week in the various units of the department, but at the end of this week's edition, be sure to click through to find out what the Bruins are thankful for this year.

Football Team Upends USC in Rivalry Game
On a rainy Saturday afternoon in Pasadena, the UCLA football team never trailed and defeated its cross-town rival USC, 38-28, at the Rose Bowl.

With the win, the Bruins improved to 9-2 and clinched the Pac-12 South Division title, earning a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game, to be played on Friday, November 30 at a site to be determined (details below).

Home Game against Stanford Awaits Saturday
With the rivalry game now behind them, Jim Mora and his football team have set their sights on the final regular season game of 2012, next Saturday at 3:30 pm (PT) against Stanford at Rose Bowl. Tickets are on sale now. For more information or to buy tickets, please visit uclabruins.com or call the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310-UCLA-WIN (825-2946).

For those Bruins who will be out of town for the holiday weekend, the game will be televised live nationally on FOX and broadcast via the airwaves on AM 570, FOX Sports LA.

Pac-12 Football Championship Game Tickets On Sale Now
Though the site of the 2012 Pac-12 Football Championship Game has yet to be determined, UCLA has been allocated a limited number of tickets to the game.

UCLA football season ticket-holders, Wooden Athletic Fund members, Mini-Plan buyers and 2013 Season Ticket Deposit purchasers can order tickets to the Pac-12 Conference Championship Football Game at any of the three possible sites by accessing their ticket accounts HERE.

Orders must be received by UCLA no later than Monday, Nov. 26 at Noon PT. Fans will only be charged for the game that is actually played.

Should the Rose Bowl serve as the host site, tickets will be emailed, and parking (if eligible) will be sent via FedEx for delivery on Nov. 28. There is no limit on the number of tickets that may be ordered at the Rose Bowl.

If the game is played at either Stanford or Oregon, tickets will be left at the stadium will call and must be picked up by the account-holder of record. A limit of eight tickets per account exists at away sites, and ticket location will be determined by Wooden Athletic Fund donor priority and season ticket holder status.

Bruins Fall Short in Progressive Legends Classic
Despite its 3-1 start, the #11-ranked UCLA men's basketball team faces Georgia in the consolation game of the Progressive Legends Classic tonight at 4:30 pm (PT) at Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Bruins fell to Georgetown in Monday's semifinals after defeating UC Irvine and James Madison in the Los Angeles Regional at New Pauley Pavilion last week.

The game will be televised live on ESPNU and on WatchESPN.com and will be broadcast on AM 570 FOX Sports LA.

The Bruins return home on Sunday, November 25 when they host Cal Poly at 7 pm. Tickets for that game are still available. For more information or to purchase tickets, please click here or call 310-UCLA-WIN (825-2946).

Women's Basketball Upsets Sooners in Norman, Welcomes Notre Dame
Last week, the UCLA women's basketball team upset the #11-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in Norman to improve to 2-0 on its young season. Junior guard Thea Lemberger scored 18 points to lead the Bruins, and senior forward Alyssia Brewer had a successful return to her home state with 15 points and 16 rebounds for UCLA.

The Bruins, now ranked #19, face their second consecutive ranked team when they welcome the #5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish to New Pauley on Friday, November 23 at noon.

Tickets for that game are on sale now. As part of a special Black Blue Friday holiday promotion, general admission tickets purchased in advance online or at the box office the day of the game are just $1 using the code BLUEFRIDAY. For more information or to purchase tickets, please click here or call 310-UCLA-WIN (825-2946).

Women's Volleyball Debuts in New Pauley, Hangs NCAA Championship Banner
The defending national champion and #5-ranked women's volleyball team played its final match at the John Wooden Center this season against California (sweeping the Bears), before moving a few strides down Bruin Walk to host top-ranked Stanford in New Pauley Pavilion.

The Stanford match, won 3-1, by the Cardinal, featured the unveiling of the banner honoring the team's 2011 NCAA Championship, which was 108th in school history (tops in the nation) and first in the career of head coach Michael Sealy.

The team returns to the court tonight at Oregon in a game televised on the Pac-12 Networks, before hosting USC next Friday at 6 pm. Friday's game also features the Blue Friday promotion of $1 general admission tickets using the BLUEFRIDAY promo code online or at the box office.

Soccer Teams Have Mixed Results in NCAA Tournament Play
The UCLA women's soccer team, seeded third, swept a pair of matches against Kentucky and San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament over the weekend. The wins earned the Bruins a spot in the Elite Eight, where they will face Pac-12 rivals Stanford in Palo Alto on Friday at 7 pm (PT).

The men's soccer team met a different fate, seeing its season come to a close in a 5-2 loss to San Diego Sunday in an NCAA Tournament second-round home match at Drake Stadium.

Men's Cross Country Places in Top 15 at NCAA Championships
The #22-ranked men's cross country team finished in 13th place at the NCAA Championships, held last weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. It was the team's best finish since a 12th place result in 1985. Congratulations also go out to sophomore Lane Werley, who earned All-America honors after placing 25th overall.

Plenty of Revelry Before the Rivalry Friday Night
The fifth-annual Revelry Before the Rivalry, one of UCLA Athletics' biggest fundraisers of the year, was a rousing success at Bel Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades on Friday night, mere hours before the UCLA and USC football teams locked horns at the Rose Bowl.

The event raised more than $50,000, and all proceeds from the event directly support the Wooden Athletic Fund and UCLA Athletics.

Rose Bowl Press Box Will Soon Bear Donahue's Name
As announced during an on-field ceremony during Saturday's UCLA-USC football game, the Rose Bowl Operating Company will name the press box at the Rose Bowl Stadium the Terry Donahue Pavilion (effective fall 2013). Donahue is the most successful football coach in UCLA and Pac-8/10 (now 12) Conference history.

Donahue compiled a 151-74-8 record as UCLA's head coach from 1976-1995, and was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1997 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Additionally, in 2008, he received the Edward A. Dickson (UCLA) Alumnus of the Year award.

This is one of the marquee projects in the renovation of the iconic stadium. A committee made up of several prominent business executives was charged with raising $3 million to assist with the renovation of the press box and dedicate it to the UCLA legend.

To donate to the fund, please click here.

Olympic Sports Report

• The #2-ranked men's water polo team concluded its regular season with matches against USC (Saturday) and UC Irvine (Sunday). The Bruins split the contests and will next compete as the #2 seed in the MPSF Tournament, hosted by USC, this coming weekend.
• The #12-ranked women's swim team participated in the Arena Cup in Long Beach, while the diving squad spent the weekend in Houston, Texas at the Phill Hansel Invitational. They will have the Thanksgiving weekend off.

Saturday afternoons in the fall don't get much better than this past one at the Rose Bowl. Despite rain showers all afternoon, the Bruins would not be denied and came away victorious in one of the fiercest rivalries in all of college sports held in the best stadium in the country.

As a proud Bruin, it was a sight to behold, especially when head coach Jim Mora and his team ran off the field to a wave of cheers from all of you ... just a great day to be Bruin!

As Coach Mora said in his press conference, the team will enjoy the victory for 24 hours and then get about their business for the upcoming game against Stanford, a game, of course, of huge importance.

As for our fans, you can all enjoy it for as long as you desire.

Finally, before I log off, since this is a very special holiday week, we asked student-athletes, staff members, and coaches what they were thankful for this season. To see what they said, please click here. I think you'll be truly touched by their responses. I couldn't help but join in, and my thoughts of gratitude are below.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

First and foremost, I'm thankful for my family, especially my beautiful wife and two daughters. They give me the strength and inspiration to be the best that I can be every day. I'm thankful for UCLA. I'm thankful that I was provided the chance in the fall of 1969 to attend college, the first in my immediate family to do so, which opened up a world of opportunities for me that I could never have imagined possible. Three decades later, I'm thankful that UCLA saw fit to allow me to come back to Westwood and lead the same program that gave me my wings. I'm thankful every day that I can walk onto our campus and work with a wonderful group of colleagues to benefit the lives of our 600-plus student-athletes. I'm thankful that I continue to learn from these colleagues, the outstanding coaches and staff that work here, as well as the administration and faculty that make our campus the best in class ... world-class. And finally, I'm thankful for our fans and supporters who make our entire athletic program possible. Without them, we would not be able to provide the resources necessary to help our young men and women accomplish their dreams.

Go Bruins!

Dan Guerrero
UCLA Athletic Director

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