News+Notes:
Ohio State will play for Big Ten championship against Northwestern,
The Big Ten Conference dropped its six-game minimum requirement for the league championship game Wednesday, clearing that way for No. 3 Ohio State to take on No. 15 Northwestern in another chance for the Buckeyes to burnish their playoff credentials.
The Buckeyes (5- 0) will try for their fifth straight conference title when they face the Wildcats (5-1) in Indianapolis.
The rule change had to be approved by the Big Ten Conference Administrators Council.
The conference determined before the season that teams would have to play six of their eight scheduled games to qualify for the championship game. Ohio State has missed three games because of issues with the pandemic. WASHINGTON PAUSES FOOTBALL
DUE TO COVID-19 CASES » Washington has paused football activities after a rise in positive COVID-19 cases within the Huskies’ program, putting in doubt the fate of its game this Saturday against Oregon.
The school said it would announce the status of the Oregon game when more information becomes available.
Soccer
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BRINGS RELIEF IN MADRID » The last night of the Champions League group stage ended with business as usual for Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, who avoided early exits to advance to the knockout rounds.
Atalanta and Borussia Mönchengladbach also claimed places in the round of 16.
There were nine games instead of the usual eight after the remarkable events 24 hours earlier when Paris Saint- Germain’s game against Istanbul Basaksehir was suspended.
Players on both teams had refused to continue after a fourth official from Romania used a racial insult when referring to a Basaksehir assistant coach, Pierre Webo, who is Black.
They returned to Parc des Princes to resume the game in the 14th minute with replacement match officials from the Netherlands.
Neymar ensured PSG would finish top of Group H by scoring a hat trick in a 5-1 win. The French champion was already assured of advancing with Leipzig.
UEFA said it appointed a disciplinary inspector to investigate the incident. The fourth official, Sebastian Coltescu, risks a ban from games.
Pro basketball
ANTETOKOUNMPO WON’T
SAY WHETHER HE WILL SIGN SUPERMAX OFFER » Giannis Antetokounmpo praised the “amazing” moves the Bucks have made to improve the team, but the two- time reigning MVP stopped short of saying he would sign a supermax contract extension offer.
“Right now I’m not focusing on that,” Antetokounmpo said during his first preseason discussion with reporters.