UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers and his teammates will be competing in the Big Ten Conference this fall, but the team has taken steps to rekindle some Pac-12 rivalry by adjusting some of its upcoming schedule. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The UCLA football program announced several changes to its upcoming schedule on Wednesday that will reignite two historic Pac-12 rivalries.
The changes, which include adding games against California and Utah and removing games against Georgia and Auburn, will affect the 2025-2030 seasons.
Utah is scheduled to return to Pasadena on Aug. 30, 2025, before the Bruins complete a home-and-home series in Salt Lake City on Sept. 7, 2030. The Bruins lead the all-time series against Utah, 12-9.
UCLA and Cal have played each other every year since 1933, but that streak will end this fall when Cal plays its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule and UCLA plays its Big Ten Conference schedule.
The rivalry was all but over when the two teams didn't meet on the original schedule for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but the in-state rivals quickly arranged a matchup after their opponents were unable to play due to COVID-19. UCLA leads Cal head-to-head with a 57-35 record.
UC Davis is scheduled to face the Bruins as a non-conference opponent in the Rose Bowl on Aug. 28, 2027 and Sept. 1, 2029.
UCLA reached an agreement with two Southeastern Conference teams, Georgia and Auburn, to cancel a previously scheduled home-and-home series.
Georgia was scheduled to travel to the Rose Bowl in 2025 for a non-conference game against the Bruins, then host a matchup between the two teams in 2026.
Auburn was scheduled to visit the Rose Bowl in 2027 and host UCLA in 2028.
UCLA was to play Wisconsin as a non-conference opponent in 2029 and 2030, but those games were voided when the Bruins joined the Big Ten. Northwestern also had a contract to play home-and-away series with UCLA in September of the 2033 and 2034 seasons, but those games were voided for the same reason.
Game Ready
UCLA's NIL organization, Men of Westwood, announced Monday that it will host an event on July 16 to celebrate the release of the EA Sports College Football 25 video game.
The game will be held for the first time since 2013 and will feature 85 players representing 134 teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
“The game's launch marks a major milestone for our players, who will finally get the reward of seeing their likeness in a video game, and for the fans who have patiently waited for its return,” said Ken Greiwer, founder and CEO of Men of Westwood. “We couldn't let this moment pass without celebrating, and this event is a great way to bring our fans closer to our football program ahead of an exciting season.”
Fans can purchase ticket packages that offer the opportunity to play games with current players, take photos and tour football facilities.
All proceeds from the event will go towards NIL opportunities for our players.
EA Sports has been slowly unveiling different features and aspects of the game over the past few weeks and on Wednesday released the top 100 ranked players for the game. The Bruins were not included on that list.
UCLA's official roster for the game and official overall rating have not been released, but quarterback Ethan Garbers, running back TJ Harden and receiver J. Michael Sturdivant are expected to play.
Garbers was one of several college football players who first announced they would be playing in the game in social media posts in February, and caricatures of Sturdivant and Harden had already appeared in some of the game's released trailers.
The game will be available for those who pre-order on July 16th, before being made available to everyone once it's officially released on July 19th.
New hires
UCLA has hired Corey Miller as its new head football performance coach.
Miller will be tasked with leading the team's strength and conditioning program, replacing Keith Belton, who left the program for other opportunities.
Miller previously worked as the Bruins' director of speed and movement from February 2022 to June 2023 before taking on the role of assistant director of speed and movement for the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
“I was impressed with Coach Miller's ability to get the best out of his players during his previous tenure with us,” UCLA coach DeShawn Foster said in a statement this week. “Add to that his NFL experience and I don't think there's anyone better suited to anchor our team as we prepare the Bruins for Big Ten Conference play and beyond.”
