The Big Ten announced that Northwestern’s women’s basketball teams will forfeit two conference games.
Last month, Northwestern didn’t travel to California for back-to-back games against UCLA and USC. The matchups were scheduled for Jan. 12 and 15, shortly after deadly wildfires decimated the area.
On Wednesday, the Big Ten said they won’t reschedule the postponed games.
“Per Conference rules, forfeitures will be assessed to Northwestern,” the Big Ten said. “As a result, the Wildcats will receive two losses in the conference standings, while UCLA and USC each will be credited with a win.”
In a statement shared by The Inside Zone’s Matt Fortuna, Northwestern AD Mark Jackson said the school “accepts the decision.”
“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. “We will continue to support our Women’s Basketball student-athletes and hope for a strong recovery for the Southern California region.”
Northwestern would have been massive underdogs against No. 2 UCLA and No. 4 USC. While those new members top the Big Ten standings, the Wildcats drop to 9-19 with a 2-15 conference record after the forfeits.
Those canceled games came in the middle of a nine-game losing streak for Northwestern, which defeated Rutgers and Penn State this month. The Wildcats lost their last two games to Maryland and Wisconsin.
Undefeated at the time of its scheduled game against Northwestern, UCLA is now 26-1 with a 22.5-point average scoring margin. Cori Close’s squad spent 12 straight weeks atop the AP poll before losing to USC on Feb. 13.
The Trojans remain one win ahead of the Bruins for first place in the Big Ten. They have a 25-2 overall record with six straight wins since getting upset at Iowa on the day of Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement ceremony.
Lauren Betts and JuJu Watkins will each get one less chance to make their National Player of the Year case. Betts is averaging 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game for the Bruins, and Watkins ranks third in the nation with 24.2 points per contest.
UCLA and USC will clash again to end the regular season this Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. Meanwhile, Northwestern will conclude its season against Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.
Related: College Basketball Program Holding Out 4 Starters Due To Gambling