The Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame has been postponed until Thursday following a deadly truck attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter early Wednesday morning, Sugar Bowl executive director Jeff Hundley announced Wednesday afternoon.
“We consulted with ESPN, with the College Football Playoff, with the Southeastern Conference, with the University of Georgia, with Notre Dame, all parties,” Hundley said at a press conference. “And everyone agrees that it is in everyone’s interest and public safety that we postpone the game for 24 hours.”
The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. The delay comes as police continue to search the crime scene and secure the French Quarter.
ESPN reported that a shelter was opened for the Bulldogs at their team hotel. At least one student from Georgia suffered serious injuries in the attack and is receiving medical treatment, the school said.
Early Wednesday morning, a driver “determined to create the carnage and damage he caused” drove a pickup truck at high speed through a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 15 people and injuring at least 35, police said. Police identified the suspect as Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas. A flag of the terrorist group known as ISIS was recovered from the suspect’s vehicle, police said.
“It was very intentional behavior,” said New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. – This man was trying to run over as many people as he could.
Explosive devices were found at the scene, according to multiple reports, and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called the incident a “terrorist attack.”
Authorities said the male suspect got out of his truck with an assault rifle and opened fire on the officers before he was killed by return fire. At least two police officers were shot and wounded, officials said.
“The Sugar Bowl Board is devastated by the horrific events that occurred early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in discussions with local, state and federal authorities and will provide further details as they become available,” he said. Hundley said in a statement earlier in the day.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN: “When we learned the severity of the tragedy and what happened, we had to come back together as a team and we had to talk about what happened.
“What I said to the team, it’s in the toughest times that the culture of any program or nation is revealed. I have a lot of faith that this nation will rally around New Orleans and support all the victims and families affected today.”
Barring further delays, the CFP quarterfinal between the No. 2 seed Bulldogs (11-2) and the No. 7 Fighting Irish (12-1) is now set to begin at 4:00 PM ET on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Freeman said of the postponement: “We’ve had to shift our focus to preparing for this game. We’ve got to use this time that we’ve had today and tomorrow morning to continue to prepare for this opportunity…
“That’s where our focus has to be. We’re going to grieve and pray for our country. We have support systems for anyone who needs someone to talk to, but we also have to be ready for this great opportunity that we have in the Sugar Bowl.”
–Field-level media
