In January, Northwestern's women's basketball team was scheduled to travel to Los Angeles to play UCLA and USC in back-to-back games. Those games did not transpire as the city was ravaged by deadly wildfires that killed 29 and destroyed 18,000 homes.
On Wednesday, however, the Big Ten issued a curious ruling around the postponed games. The Wildcats were charged with two forfeits, while the Bruins and Trojans were awarded wins.
"Per conference rules, forfeitures will be assessed to Northwestern. As a result, the Wildcats will receive two losses in the conference standings, while UCLA and USC each will be credited with a win," the conference wrote in a release.
In a statement via Matt Fortuna of The Inside Zone, Northwestern athletic director Mark Jackson accepted the decision while defending his team's reasoning for staying home.
"While we acknowledge that bylaws and rules are in place for a reason and we will abide by them, it does not diminish this team’s sound reasoning for not participating during this natural disaster," Jackson said.
Statement from Northwestern AD Mark Jackson:
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) February 26, 2025
“Northwestern Athletics accepts the decision by the Big Ten Conference to strictly apply the Conference bylaws as written, in issuing forfeits for missed competitions by Northwestern’s Women’s Basketball after the team’s decision not… https://t.co/Op12bFNieI
The Wildcats, accounting for the forfeits, are now 9–19 and 2–15 in the Big Ten.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Northwestern WBB Forced to Forfeit Games at USC, UCLA Postponed Due to Wildfires.
