Northwestern Women's Basketball Penalized with Forfeits Over Missed Games Due to LA Wildfires

Big Ten enforces conference rules, crediting wins to USC and UCLA after Northwestern declines to play in wildfire-affected Los Angeles.

The Big Ten announced that Northwestern's January games against USC and UCLA would be forfeited and not rescheduled, per conference rules.
Northwestern cited safety concerns over ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles as the reason for not traveling for the scheduled matchups.
USC and UCLA, ranked No. 4 and No. 2 respectively, received wins for the unplayed games, boosting their standings in the conference.
The forfeits drop Northwestern to 2-15 in the Big Ten, jeopardizing their chances of qualifying for the conference tournament.
Northwestern's athletic director defended the team's decision as prioritizing student-athlete safety, despite accepting the conference's ruling.