UCLA Football: 5 Most Important Post-Spring Dates

There are a number of future dates that hold much significance to the UCLA Bruins.

As spring practice winds down, a period of rest will take place before the summer starts. When the summer hits, the team will be in high-gear again, getting ready for the upcoming season.

Let's take a look at five important dates for the Bruins in the upcoming months.

Blue vs. Gold Spring Game

Spring football will be completed with the spring game at the Rose Bowl on May 5th.

New head coach Jim Mora decided to play the game in the Rose Bowl as opposed to at one of the practice fields on campus.

The past regime under former head coach Rick Neuheisel was reluctant to employ the glorified scrimmage in Pasadena, but Mora hopes to have a good sized crowd on hand for the contest.

Here are the details:

What: UCLA Spring Game

Who: Blue v. Gold

When: May 5th at 5:00 p.m. PT

Where: Rose Bowl

The complete listing of all the details can be found here.

Incoming Freshman Arrive

On June 25th, UCLA will begin Session A of summer school.

This first "portion" of summer school coincides with the arrival of the incoming freshmen. The incoming freshmen often are enrolled in summer school as a way to get their proverbial feet wet in the college scene.

A process of acclimating entails getting familiarized with the area, moving into student housing on campus and adjusting to a college curriculum.

Perhaps the biggest perk is that the incoming athletes will be able to meet with coaches on a daily basis.Various meetings will take place, and a process of installation will begin.

In addition, they will be able to utilize the training staff and begin conditioning using a program engineered for each athlete specifically.

Of the incoming class, the only two freshmen already enrolled in school are cornerback Marcus Rios and quarterback T.J. Millweard.

First Day of Class

On September 20th, it will mark the beginning of the fall quarter for the 2012/13 school year.

It also signifies a balancing act of athletics and academia for the freshmen.

Undoubtedly there will be a transition of sorts. Not only will the freshmen have to attend class everyday, but they'll also be responsible for daily practice and meetings.

The benefit for the football program, however, is the UCLA academic calendar. The quarter system allows for the school year not to start until the end of September.

This means that the football team will have upwards of a month of practice without any class. The team will be able to focus solely on football without the distraction of academics.

In years past, the beginning of the fall football practice schedule took place during the second week of August.

Thus far, the athletic department has yet to release the preseason schedule for the fall.

First Game of the Season

On August 30th, the Bruins will play their first game of the season against the Rice Owls in Houston, Texas.

This will mark the first contest with Mora at the helm of the Bruins' ship.

Here is the 2012 schedule in it's totality.

Some Notable Games:

September 9th: Nebraska

October 10th: at Cal

October 27th: at Arizona State

November 17th: USC

The Rivalry Game

The recent rivalry between crosstown foes UCLA and USC has been extremely lopsided.

In the last 13 contests between the two teams, USC has won 12. Suffice it to say, but the Bruins have been anything but competitive.

The contest on November 17th will inaugurate Mora into the rivalry. However, he does have some ties to both schools.

Mora's father Jim Mora Sr., the former NFL coach, was an assistant at UCLA in 1974. In addition, both of Mora's parents received degrees from Southern Cal.

Ironically enough, Mora also resides on the same street as current USC head coach Lane Kiffin. There obviously will be no shortages of story lines when this game rolls around.

This contest represents a massive opportunity for the Bruins. It's a chance to show the city of Los Angeles that they can compete with the Trojans.

It also provides a platform for Mora to flex his muscles and demonstrate that he isn't afraid of USC. Often, Neuheisel coached games that were incredibly conservative against the Trojans.

At times, he portrayed a scared disposition—a disposition that surely resonated amidst the entire football team.

Mora cannot coach this game with extreme conservatism. He needs to be the aggressor and attack with exuberance if the Bruins are to have a chance in the contest.