The College football playoffs quarterfinal game between No. 2 Georgia and No. 5 Notre Dame is underway in New Orleans more than a day after the deadly terrorist attack on Bourbon Street that killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more.
Teams arrived at Caesars Superdome, just a mile away from the crime scene in the French Quarter, for Thursday’s Sugar Bowl under heavy security after the FBI said a driver in a Ford pickup drove through a crowd of people in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, which is investigating as a terrorist act.
FBI personnel arrive at the Caesars Superdome prior to the NCAA College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Law enforcement officials stepped up security for Thursday Sugar bowl after the organizers made a decision to postpone bocce for Thursday in the interest of public safety.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS REPORTS ON FOXNEWS.COM
New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said in an interview with “TODAY” Thursday that fans attending the game can expect to see as much security “if not more” than what was expected at the Super Bowl next month.
“We are partnered with many other partners,” said Kirkpatrick, via ESPN. “And the local, federal, military police, et cetera, will be here, and so we’ll have absolutely hundreds of police officers and personnel that will be on our streets, on Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter. So we’re staffing at the same level, if not bigger, but for which we were preparing [the] Super Bowl.”
Superdome, home New Orleans Saints, will host the championship game on February 9. The city has been working for years on an infrastructure package that will increase security in anticipation of the thousands of fans who will flock to the city next month.
Security and bomb detection dogs check vehicles as they enter the Superdome parking garage ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
SUPERDOME WELCOME SUGAR FANS AFTER THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN NEW ORLEANS
Local police, FBI personnel and trained dogs were deployed to the stadium as an extra precaution.
Officials confirmed at a news conference Thursday that the suspect, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, acted alone in the attack.
The FBI found a potential improvised explosive device (IED), a weapon and an ISIS flag in Jabbar’s vehicle after he was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers found and recovered other potential IEDs.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Sugar Bowl was originally scheduled for 8:45 PM ET, but has been moved to an earlier start on Thursday at 4:00 PM ET.
Notre Dame players run onto the field before the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Georgia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
“Public safety is paramount,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said at a media briefing Wednesday. “All parties agree that it is in everyone’s best interest and public safety to postpone the game.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports broadcast on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
