| Sport: | football |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Team: | UCLA Bruins |
| Conference: | Pacific-10 Conference |
| Short Conf: | Pac-10 |
| Coachrank: | 5 |
| Aprank: | 5 |
| Record: | 10–2 |
| Conf Record: | 7–1 |
| Hc Year: | 2nd |
| Oc Year: | 2nd |
| Dc Year: | 2nd |
| Champion: | Pac-10 co-champion Cotton Bowl Classic champion |
The 1997 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. They played their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California and were coached by Bob Toledo. It was Toledo's second season as the UCLA head coach. The Bruins finished 10–2 overall, and were Pacific-10 Conference co-champions with a 7–1 record. The Bruins were invited to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas A&M on January 1, 1998. Though the Bruins were down 16–7 at the half, Cade McNown, the offensive MVP of the game, led the team to a 29–23 victory. The team was ranked #5 in the final AP Poll and #5 in the final Coaches' Poll.
See also: 1997 Washington State Cougars football team.
See also: 1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team.
See also: 1997 Texas Longhorns football team.
See also: 1997 Arizona Wildcats football team.
See also: 1997 Houston Cougars football team.
See also: 1997 Oregon Ducks football team.
See also: 1997 Oregon State Beavers football team.
See also: 1997 California Golden Bears football team.
See also: 1997 Stanford Cardinal football team.
See also: 1997 Washington Huskies football team.
See also: 1997 USC Trojans football team.
The Bruins retained the Victory Bell for the seventh straight year.
See main article: 1998 Cotton Bowl Classic.
See also: 1997 NCAA Division I-A football rankings.
Skip Hicks, Chad Overhauser, and Chris Sailer were selected to the 1997 College Football All-America Team.
The following players were selected in the 1998 NFL draft.
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Free Safety | New York Giants | |
| 3 | 69 | Running back | Washington Redskins | |
| Chad Overhauser | 7 | 217 | Offensive guard | Chicago Bears |