This has gotta be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen in sports.
The Northwestern women’s basketball team has been hit with not one, but two forfeits by the Big Ten after they didn’t play in their contests against USC and UCLA.
Originally scheduled for Jan. 12 and Jan. 15, the games were initially postponed due to the Los Angeles fires. In response, Northwestern decided not to make the trip to Southern California “due to concerns surrounding ongoing wildfires affecting the greater Los Angeles area.”
The fires that knocked L.A. started three days prior to Northwestern making their announcement, and during this time, the fires weren’t even close to containment. On top of that, the NFL relocated a postseason game and the NBA postponed a few of theirs. (RELATED: Riley Gaines, Pro-Women Advocates Absolutely Flame NCAA In Powerful New XX-XY Athletics Commercial)
Per the rules of the Big Ten, however, Northwestern will have forfeits on both games for not showing up, which means the teams now have two losses on their resume that didn’t actually happen. USC and UCLA, on the other hand, will be given a win each.
Mark Jackson, the athletic director for Northwestern, stated that their athletic department will accept the decision by the Big Ten “to strictly apply the Conference bylaws as written,” but he made it clear that they do not regret their choice to not go somewhere that was literally on fire.
“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,” said Jackson. “We will continue to support our Women’s Basketball student-athletes and hope for a strong recovery for the Southern California region.”
B1G has issued forfeits to Northwestern women’s basketball team for not traveling to the LA schools. pic.twitter.com/NMQAP5s12f
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) February 26, 2025
The Big Ten couldn’t make an exception here? … Terrible decision!
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
Author
