UCLA Basketball: Bruins Plan To Maintain Pac-12 Rivalry In Big Ten

Enemies will stay enemies.

Despite the Pac-12 parting ways at the end of the season, Arizona and UCLA plan to keep their rivalry going. When asked about it, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd mentioned that he and Bruins head coach Mick Cronin have discussed it and plan to continue playing one another in the future. Lloyd further stated:

"I'm confident it will happen. We need to sit down and hammer out exactly what it's going to look like, but there's so much change going on." 

- Tommy Lloyd

As Lloyd mentions, there is a tremendous amount of change occurring. As UCLA plans to enter the Big Ten, Arizona plans to enter the Big 12, making a matchup between the two an inter-conference matchup that can be difficult to schedule. Fortunately, their geographical proximity should aid tremendously in the process. 

Arizona after defeating UCLA in the Pac-12 championship game (March 2023)

Moreover, as both coaches are interested in making the matchup possible for rivalry purposes, along with the caliber of both programs improving both teams' competition and strength of schedule, it's pretty easy to see more Bruin-Wildcat duels on the calendar. 

With regards to context for the rivalry, the two teams have been going at it since 1923, when UCLA won the first matchup by a score of 43-30. Since then, UCLA has won 63 of the 111 matchups, good for an all-time record of 63-48, while holding the all-time win streak record of 11 games. 

Both programs have produced abundant NBA talent, and the rivalry has become must-watch TV. It's safe to say that we all hope that the rivalry continues. 

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