The No. 1 UCLA women’s basketball team’s Wednesday evening game against Penn State has been moved from Pauley Pavilion to Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid.
The change was made due to concerns surrounding the area wildfires and the game will be played on Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
“The health and safety of student-athletes, staff and fans is our top priority,” the team said in a press release. “UCLA Athletics continues to monitor conditions on campus and at athletic sites to determine impact on activity.”
The venue change follows Northwestern’s decision to cancel its trip to Southern California, which would have included a Sunday game against UCLA and a Wednesday contest at No. 4 USC.
Those who purchased tickets for Wednesday’s originally scheduled game at Pauley Pavilion will receive an account credit equal to the value spent on the game that can be used for any regular season home women’s basketball game.
UCLA has extended remote instruction for undergraduate and graduate courses through Friday, Jan. 17. Employees — excluding healthcare staff — have also been asked to work remotely. No evacuations have been ordered for Westwood as of Sunday afternoon.
The Palisades Fire, which has burned through 23,713 acres as of Sunday, is the closest wildfire to the UCLA campus.
“Throughout all this, I have been deeply moved by the unwavering kindness, empathy and support shown by our Bruin community,” UCLA Chancellor Julio Frank said in a statement. “I want to thank you for these acts of compassion, which I have seen firsthand. We are seeing what happens when we all come together.”