Dec. 4, 2012

It's time to go bowling yet again ... After a great regular season and a Pac-12 Football Championship Game against Stanford that was decided in the final seconds, UCLA is headed to its second consecutive bowl game, when it travels south to play the Baylor Bears in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl (more below) in San Diego on December 27.

A "job well done" goes out to first-year coach Jim Mora, his staff and the players for their success so far, as well as good luck to them in their final game of the year.

The Bruin family has been so supportive this year and will need to come together one more time and turn Qualcomm Stadium into a sea of blue ...

Bruins Earn First-Ever Berth in Holiday Bowl
The Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl has extended an invitation to UCLA and Baylor to participate in the 35th edition of the game, scheduled to be played on Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 6:45pm at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

This will be UCLA's first appearance in the Holiday Bowl, and the Bruins (9-4, Pac-12 Conference South Division Champions) will face Big 12 team Baylor (7-5, tied for fifth in Big 12) in the first meeting on the gridiron between the two schools.

Tickets to Holiday Bowl Already On Sale
Tickets to see UCLA take on Baylor in the Holiday Bowl are already on sale. Current UCLA Football Season Ticket Holders and Wooden Athletic Fund members will receive priority when requesting Holiday Bowl tickets. All ticket requests must be submitted by 5pm on Friday, December 7 to receive priority. Click here for detailed information on ticket allocation.

If you are a current Wooden Athletic Fund Member or Football Season Ticket Holder, call 310-UCLA-WIN (825-2946) or log-in here to request tickets.

UCLA student tickets will be available to purchase for $65. The first 1,000 student ticket orders will be guaranteed a ticket. More information on student bowl tickets is posted on uclabruins.com/theden.

If you are not currently a UCLA Football Season Ticket Holder or a Wooden Athletic Fund member, you can request up to (6) Holiday Bowl game tickets by purchasing a 2013 UCLA Football Season Ticket (requires a $99 deposit) AND joining the Wooden Athletic Fund (minimum $100 donation) by December 7.

This request is not guaranteed, and if we do not fill at least two Holiday Bowl tickets, we will refund your season ticket deposit and donation. To join the Wooden Athletic Fund and purchase 2013 UCLA Football Season Tickets, please call 310-206-3302.

Visit the Bowl Central page on uclabruins.com regularly for the most updated information on parking, hospitality, transportation and hotels as it becomes available.

Mora a Finalist for Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award
Liberty Mutual announced today that UCLA Head Football Coach Jim Mora is one of 10 FBS finalists for its annual Coach of the Year Award.

The award recognizes college football coaches who demonstrate sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence, both on and off the field. Endorsed by the College Football Hall of Fame, the program awards the winning coach from each NCAA division with $50,000 to donate to a charity of their choice, a $20,000 grant to each school's alumni association, and the Coach of the Year trophy.

Bruins fans can vote at coachoftheyear.com once a day starting today to help push Mora to the top of the list. The fan vote accounts for 20 percent of the final vote and will be combined with the votes of the College Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee and the national media before the winner is announced prior to the BCS National Championship Game on January 7.

Men's Water Polo Falls Just Short in Quest for Ninth NCAA Title
The UCLA men's water polo team fell in dramatic fashion to its crosstown rivals on Sunday afternoon in the championship match of the NCAA tournament, held at USC. The Bruins had defeated St. Francis (NY) in the semifinals on Saturday, while the Trojans defeated Air Force to earn their berth in the final match.

Though they came up just short, kudos are due to Adam Wright, his coaching staff and the players for an amazing season.

Women's Basketball Topples Loyola Marymount
The #17-ranked UCLA women's basketball team continued its hot start to the 2012-13 season Sunday afternoon with an 86-66 victory over Loyola Marymount to improve its record to 4-1. Markel Walker had 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead five players in double figures for the Bruins.

Men's Hoops to Play Exhibition in Pauley on Tuesday
Following a loss to #15 San Diego State in the John R. Wooden Classic at the Honda Center last Saturday, the UCLA men's basketball team will play an exhibition game against Cal State San Marcos on Tuesday in Pauley.

This exhibition game, normally played before the regular season, is being played mid-season so that the Bruins were able to play the regular season opener and first game in New Pauley against Indiana State.

Tickets are still available for tonight's game. For more information or to purchase tickets, please click here or call 310-UCLA-WIN (825-2946).

A Texas Two-Step Awaits Basketball Teams in Houston Saturday
The UCLA men's and women's basketball teams will play their respective counterparts from the University of Texas on Saturday at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The women's game tips off at 11:30 am PT and will be aired on the Longhorn Network and audio streamed on UCLABruins.com. The men's game tips off at 2:15 pm PT and will be televised nationally on ESPN and broadcast on AM 570 FOX Sports LA.

Women's Volleyball Team Sees Season End in NCAA Second Round
Seniors Rachael Kidder and Tabi Love each had 14 kills, while sophomore Megan Moenoa posted a double-double with 44 assists and 10 digs, but seventh-seeded UCLA lost to Michigan State last Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at New Pauley Pavilion. The 2011 NCAA Champion Bruins' season concludes with a record of 23-8.

Swimmers Wrap Up First Half of Schedule
The 2012 portion of the swimming and diving season concluded last weekend in Austin, Texas at the 2012 AT&T Winter National Championships, and the slate picks back up after the new year for the #12-ranked UCLA team beginning with the Bruin Diving Invitational Jan. 11-13 at Spieker Aquatics Center and a tri-meet with Kansas and San Diego State at Spieker on Jan. 12 at 12 pm.

Gymnastics in Pauley Pavilion on Sunday
The UCLA women's gymnastics team hosts its annual Meet the Bruins Fan Fest on Sunday, December 9 at 2 pm. Admission is free and doors to Pauley Pavilion open at 1:30 pm, so don't miss your chance to see the six-time NCAA champions show off their new skills, new floor routines and new freshmen.

The first 500 fans will receive the 2013 Team Photo Card, and all fans in attendance can participate in a special post-event team autograph session.

Attention Bruins Fans: Vote Bywaters for College Soccer's Top Award
First-team All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year Zakiya Bywaters has been selected as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded to the nation's top soccer player. Fans can contribute to the final selection by voting for Bywaters online. Voting ends on Tuesday, December 4, 2012, at 9:59 PM PT.

Wooden Athletic Fund Reaches Fundraising Records
UCLA Athletics' general fund, the Wooden Athletic Fund (WAF), has set numerous fundraising records in 2012, thanks to the generosity of nearly 5,000 UCLA alumni, fans and friends. With the 2012 giving year coming to end this month, the WAF has already received more than $11 million in cash contributions.

Nearly 5,000 members have donated at least $100 annually to the Wooden Athletic Fund in 2012, and more than 1,500 are new individuals or organizations, besting the goal set by the development office for the calendar year. With these totals, the WAF membership and total donations are now at the highest levels in school history. Thank you to not only the new members, but all WAF members for making this a truly historic year for us.

Donations received through the Wooden Athletic Fund go directly to support the needs of all UCLA student-athletes competing for each of our 24 programs. The generous financial support we receive is absolutely vital in our ability to provide our student-athletes with the resources they need to succeed in competition, in the classroom and in the community.

For more information about joining the Wooden Athletic Fund and investing in tomorrow's champions today, please visit: WoodenAthleticFund.com or call 310-206-3302.

As the year rapidly draws to a close, it is appropriate to extend congratulations to the coaches and student-athletes of our fall sports teams whose seasons recently concluded.

Virtually every fall team distinguished itself with a national ranking, a conference championship, and/or post-season accolades for coaches and student-athletes, and each brought thrills and excitement throughout the year for our loyal fans.

One program whose season will continue until the last week of December is the football team. I know most Bruins were watching intently as the Bruins battled a formidable opponent in Stanford for the right to represent the Pac-12 Conference in the 2013 Rose Bowl ... and a battle it was. Going down to the wire on the road, the Bruins made a valiant effort, just falling short on the rain-soaked turf as the clock ran out. But that did not diminish an incredible season.

On December 27, the Bruins take on the high-scoring Baylor Bears, one of the hottest teams in the country. As we prepare for the opportunity to earn our 10th win of the year, many of us had the opportunity to take a small break in the action and celebrate the outstanding year at Sunday night's post-season banquet. Over 500 strong attended the event and heard from Coach Mora, several of his assistant coaches and many of the student-athletes, including each of the seniors.

The banquet captured the spirit of this team, focusing on brotherhood, competitive excellence and high expectations. With great humility, each of the award recipients thanked those who helped them along the journey, including coaches, support staff, fans, friends, and, of course, family. The highlight film, put together by our Director of Video Services Ken Norris and his staff, was fabulous, both thrilling and touching at the same time.

What was most exciting were the comments made by Coach Mora and his coaching staff. To paraphrase: while we, without question, have accomplished quite a bit this year, the seniors on the 2012 team have laid the foundation for the future by writing only the "first chapter" of the book. There is a great deal more to come from UCLA football. I, for one, can't wait.

With that in mind, I can't wait to see many of you at Qualcomm Stadium in a few weeks.

Go Bruins!

Dan Guerrero
UCLA Athletic Director

Previous Entries