Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman discusses the post-Sugar Bowl team meeting that was postponed after the terrorist attack
Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman revealed his message to his team ahead of the Sugar Bowl after the game was postponed due to a terrorist attack.
Terrorist attack in New Orleans, that left more than a dozen dead, forced the postponement of the college football playoff game from Wednesday night to Thursday night at 4:00 PM ET.
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman speaks to reporters in New Orleans, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Georgia will face Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football CFP quarterfinal game on Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Freeman appeared on ESPN and told Scott Van Pelt what he told his team.
“The first part of that meeting was mourning and prayer for our country,” he said. “But the end of the meeting was to shift our focus to preparing for this game.”
Freeman said he and his players understood the larger meaning of playing the game and that while winning to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals was important, rallying around town after the terrorist attack was also on their minds.
A general exterior general aerial view of the Caesars Superdome, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
In the most difficult moments, the culture of any program, of a nation, comes to the fore, he added. “I have a lot of faith that we will rally around the city of New Orleans and support all the victims and families affected today.”
The winner of the game between Notre Dame and the Georgia Bulldogs will play Penn State in the next round. The Nittany Lions beat the Boise State Broncos in the first quarterfinal game of the holiday weekend.
A man leaves a bouquet of flowers at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal streets during an investigation after a pickup truck crashed into a crowd of revelers early on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
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Security will be increased around Caesars Superdome. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he plans to attend the match.
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