While both UCLA and Arizona were open to making up their postponed game this week, the Wildcats are pursuing another game for Saturday, while the Bruins added Long Beach State for Thursday at Pauley Pavilion.
However, Arizona has already played all its scheduled nonconference games, so it may need a waiver if it seeks to add a non-Pac-12 opponent this weekend.
UCLA, having not played at all since Dec. 11, had room to add Long Beach State for a return engagement after beating the Beach 100-79 on Nov. 15 at Pauley Pavilion.
Earlier Tuesday, when asked about possibly facing Arizona this week, UCLA coach Mick Cronin said the conference controlled league rescheduling issues and noted that he could only control nonconference opponent scheduling. He said the Bruins were even open to playing a Division II team.
Meanwhile, at a time when COVID-19 concerns may have helped keep the McKale Center crowd to well below 10,000 on Monday when UA hosted Washington, three California Pac-12 schools will not be giving fans a choice to attend for the near future. Only players' families will be allowed for upcoming games at Stanford, UCLA and USC.
UCLA said only that fans won't be allowed to watch the Long Beach State game in person, USC said it won't allow fans to indoor events through Jan. 14, while Stanford said fans will be allowed to return to indoor games "as soon as appropriate."
Stanford's policy is expected to still be in effect if the Cardinal hosts Arizona on Jan. 20 as scheduled, taking away what is often a strong and vocal UA crowd at Maples Pavilion.
The restrictions add another wrench into the efforts to reschedule UA's postponed games at UCLA and USC, since neither Los Angeles school is likely to want to face UA without fans (and the extra gate revenue the Wildcats might generate).
UA and UCLA have been in discussions to make up their postponed Dec. 30 game on Jan. 11, and UCLA has not said if fans won't be allowed after Thursday's game with Long Beach State.
If Stanford continues its pause into the weekend, thus forcing postponement of a Saturday game with USC, it is also theoretically possible the Wildcats could face the Trojans on Saturday.
But playing either USC or UCLA this week in Los Angeles would force the Wildcats to prepare for a resume-defining game on short notice, while also increasing the risk of COVID-19 exposure through travel.
