Mascot Wars: UCLA Bruin Statue Gets USC Trojan Paint Job

Mascot wars are on in full force. "UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton says the statue in Bruin Square was splashed with red and gold paint sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning," according to the Star-News. The painters had to "cut through a protective tarp to vandalize the statue," which sits in the middle of UCLA's Westwood campus. Campus police are investigating the case, and authorities "say the prank is being treated as a felony vandalism investigation," reports LA Now. Across town USC students are standing guard of their Tommy Trojan statue, which is also wrapped up for protection. The rival schools face off on the football field on Saturday.