Northwestern’s refusal to come to Los Angeles means that top-seeded UCLA will be idle on Sunday.
Additionally, the Wildcats will not play against No. 4 USC and JuJu Watkins on Wednesday.
“Concerns regarding ongoing wildfires affecting the greater Los Angeles area” was the reason given by Northwestern for their decision.
According to UCLA, the fires do not currently represent a threat to its Westwood campus. The institution is permitting both inside and outdoor activities based on statistics on air quality.
Northwestern was given the choice to play at a different location by UCLA, but the Wildcats decided to stay home.
Options for rescheduling the games are being investigated by the Big Ten.
The Nittany Lions will visit UCLA on Wednesday, and USC will still host Penn State on Sunday.
The residences of UCLA assistant Tony Newnan and coach Cori Close are located on the outskirts of the Palisades fire evacuation zone.
“We’ve been extremely lucky that the winds went the other way,” she stated on Friday.
Several of the Bruins players are from out of state or other countries, but they were uneasy.
“I do think there’s some anxiety there, no question,” Close said.
Pepperdine has shifted game times for its men’s and women’s doubleheader against Loyola Marymount on Saturday.
The women’s game will start at 1 p.m. PDT and the men will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Firestone Fieldhouse.
Access to the campus located above the Pacific Ocean in Malibu is limited to the north. Pacific Coast Highway south of campus remains closed because of the Palisades fire.
