While it was originally believed that the Sugar Bowl would go on as scheduled on Wednesday night following the deadly attack in New Orleans that occurred over night, that no longer appears to be the case.
On Wednesday afternoon, local and bowl game officials confirmed that the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup between Georgia and Notre Dame is being postponed for 24 hours as a result of the tragedy. New Orleans NBC affiliate WDSU was the first to report the postponement, with the high profile game at the Caesars Superdome now scheduled to be played at 8:45 p.m. ET on Thursday.
“All parties and all agree that it’s in the best in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game for 24 hours,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said.
News of the Sugar Bowl’s postponement comes less than 12 hours after the mass casualty incident that New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell has since referred to as a terrorist attack, per the TV station. The attack occurred when a suspect, who has since been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar of Texas, reportedly drove a pickup truck through a crowd of people on Bourbon Street celebrating the New Year’s holiday at approximately 3:15 a.m. local time.
The suspect was also believed to be armed and firing a gun while driving through the crowd, with the attack resulting in at least 10 deaths and 35 people being injured. Officials say Jabbar was shot and killed after engaging with police.
While New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick seemingly indicated that the Sugar Bowl would go on as planned at the Caesars Superdome on Wednesday night, this is clearly a fluid situation, with the FBI reportedly sweeping the French Quarter for potential explosive devices. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge reported on College GameDay that the Georgia football team had a shelter in place at its team hotel as it awaited more information regarding its impending matchup with Notre Dame.
[WDSU]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.