The Sugar Bowl, a college football tradition for 90 years, has been postponed for one day following the horrific attack on a crowd in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that left at least 10 people dead and more than 30 wounded.
As law enforcement officials tried to sort out the chaotic scene that unfolded on Bourbon Street, organizers of the Allstate Sugar Bowl confirmed during a news conference today that the game between Notre Dame and University of Georgia that was scheduled to be played this evening will be postponed until Thursday in light of the tragedy. ESPN had been set to carry the game from New Orleans’ Superdome starting at 8:45 p.m. ET.
The Sugar Bowl is part of the college football playoff series. It’s one of the more highly anticipated of the New Year’s period bowl games given the strength of both teams. Notre Dame is ranked No. 3 among teams in the country while Georgia is No. 2. The University of Georgia disclosed that one of its students was critically injured during the attack. Jere Morehead, president of the school, called it an “unspeakable event” and expressed gratitude for the first responders who helped victims.
ESPN had no immediate comment on the Sugar Bowl postponement.
The attack began to unfold around 3:15 a.m. local time when a man appeared to intentionally ram a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, one of the most popular tourist spots in the Crescent City’s famed French Quarter. The suspect, identified by law enforcement as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas, was shot dead by police during the incident.
The FBI is investigating the attack as a terrorist act. The Associated Press reported that the FBI believes that the driver did not act alone. An Islamic State group flag was found on the vehicle’s trailer hitch, the FBI said, according to the AP.
Jeff Hundley, CEO of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, said in a statement that the organization was “devastated by the terrible events from early this morning.”
Rev. Robert Dowd, president of Notre Dame, issued a statement expressing shock as well as gratitude for the first responders “who risked their lives to protect others” during the attack. “To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame. Today, we are in solidarity with all of those impacted by this tragedy,” Dowd said.
