| Year Game Played: | 1938 |
| Game Name: | Rose Bowl |
| Subheader: | 24th Rose Bowl Game |
| Football Season: | 1937 |
| Visitor Name Short: | California |
| Visitor Nickname: | Golden Bears |
| Visitor School: | University of California |
| Home Name Short: | Alabama |
| Home Nickname: | Crimson Tide |
| Home School: | University of Alabama |
| Visitor Record: | 9–0–1 |
| Visitor Conference: | PCC |
| Home Record: | 9–0 |
| Home Conference: | SEC |
| Visitor Coach: | Stub Allison |
| Home Coach: | Frank Thomas |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 2 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 4 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 6 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home 1Q: | 0 |
| Home 2Q: | 0 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Date Game Played: | January 1 |
| Stadium: | Rose Bowl |
| City: | Pasadena, California |
| Mvp: | Vic Bottari (California HB) |
| Odds: | California by 10 to 13 points[1] [2] |
| Referee: | Tom Louttit |
| Attendance: | 89,650 |
The 1938 Rose Bowl was the 24th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, January 1. The game featured the second-ranked California Golden Bears of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) against the #4 Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), two of the top teams from the 1937 college football season. This game was the fifth trip to Pasadena for the Tide, which had gone without a loss in the previous four.[1] [3] [4] [5]
See main article: 1937 college football season.
See main article: 1937 California Golden Bears football team.
See main article: 1937 Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
The game was a Vic Bottari and Sam Chapman show, as the duo combined for all 13 points. It was Alabama's first loss in the Rose Bowl,[3] [4] which prompted former Los Angeles Examiner reporter Maxwell Stiles to write: “The Crimson Tide was at its ebb, Alabama at last had lost a Rose Bowl Game.”
No scoring
No scoring
California's record in the Rose Bowl improved to 2–1–1, but this remains their most recent victory, with four losses since. The Golden Bears' next appearance was eleven years away, and the most recent was in January 1959.
Alabama's record in Pasadena dropped to 3–1–1; their next Rose Bowl was a win in January 1946, the last edition prior to the exclusive agreement with the Big Nine (now Big Ten). The Tide played in three major bowls in between, with two wins.