The Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame that was scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed 24 hours in the wake of the New Orleans New Year’s terror attack.
The two teams are facing off in the quarterfinals of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff and their contest is the last-scheduled game of the four quarterfinal matchups.
“We have been in consultation with ESPN, with the College Football Playoff, with the Southeastern Conference, with the University of Georgia, with Notre Dame. All parties and all agree that it’s in the best interest in everybody and public safety that we postpone the game for 24 hours,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Hundley added that the Sugar Bowl is working to “set up a safe and efficient and fun environment” for Thursday night’s game.
At least 10 people were killed and 35 injured when a driver in a white pickup truck ran people over on Bourbon Street at around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, was killed during a shootout with police. He is a U.S. citizen from Texas, according to the FBI, which said an ISIS flag was located in the vehicle.
“Weapons and a potential IED were located in the subject’s vehicle,” the FBI said in a release. “Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter. The FBI’s special agent bomb technicians are working with our law enforcement partners to determine if any of these devices are viable, and they will work to render those devices safe.”
The FBI believes the suspect was not “solely responsible” for the attack.
Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said postponing the game was the right decision.
“There’s just too much stuff we don’t know. It’s just not worth it,” he said.
No. 7 Notre Dame defeated No. 10 Indiana in the first round to advance to the matchup with No. 2 Georgia, which received a bye.
The winner will advance to the Orange Bowl in the CFP semifinals and face No. 6 Penn State, which defeated No. 3 Boise State in the quarterfinals Tuesday night after beating No. 11 SMU in the first round.
