While today the name “Rose Bowl” evokes the biggest and best known bowl game in college sports, back before 1923 it went by the less catchy title of "Tournament East-West football game.“ That changed the following year when Rose Bowl Stadium was constructed and the event renamed “The Rose Bowl Game.”
The first Rose Bowl Game held at Rose Bowl Stadium pitted USC against Penn State. The visitors almost missed kickoff due to the heavy (yes, even in 1923!) traffic in Pasadena. A late start was avoided when the taxis carrying the Nittany Lions drove onto the front lawns of local residents to get to the new stadium on time. The game still wound up being delayed due to a disagreement between the two head coaches.
When the game finally began, Penn State got on the board first with a first quarter field goal, but then USC pulled ahead, scoring a touchdown in both the second and third quarter for a 14-3 win. Due to the late start, the game’s last quarter was played in near darkness with the sportswriters finishing their game stories by match light.
This Spalding football was used during that historic first game at the Rose Bowl. The ball has been carefully inscribed with the score as well as a record of USC’s wins that season and the names of the coaches and players. The ball exhibits solid game use with abrasions and scuffs to the leather. The ink inscription shows some light fading but can be easily read by the naked eye. Pre-war game balls are rare as it is, and this one from the first modern Rose Bowl Game is especially notable.
Includes letter of provenance from the San Diego Hall of Champions.