College football’s Sugar Bowl has been postponed a day after the attack in New Orleans
The Sugar Bowl, a college football tradition for 90 years, has been postponed for a day after 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 injured.
As law enforcement officials attempted to resolve the chaotic scene that unfolded on Bourbon Street, organizers of the Allstate Sugar Bowl confirmed during a press conference today that the game between Notre Dame and the University of Georgia, scheduled to be played tonight, will be postponed . until Thursday in light of the tragedy. ESPN was scheduled to carry the game from the Superdome in New Orleans starting at 8:45 PM ET.
The Sugar Bowl is part of the college football playoff series. It is one of the most highly anticipated bowl games during the New Year period considering the strength of both teams. Notre Dame ranks third among teams in the country, while Georgia ranks second. The University of Georgia announced that one of its students was seriously injured during the attack. Jere Morehead, president of the school, called it an “unspeakable event” and expressed gratitude for the first responders who helped the victims.
ESPN had no immediate comment on the Sugar Bowl postponement.
The attack began around 3:15 a.m. local time when a man appeared to deliberately ram a pickup truck into a crowd of partygoers on Bourbon Street, one of the most popular tourist spots in the Crescent City’s famed French Quarter. The suspect, identified by police as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas, was shot dead by police during the incident.
The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism. The Associated Press reported that the FBI believes the driver did not act alone. An Islamic State 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 that occurred early this morning.”
The Rev. Robert Dowd, president of Notre Dame, issued a statement expressing both his shock and gratitude for the first responders “who risked their lives to protect others” during the attack. “To stand in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame. Today we stand in solidarity with everyone affected by this tragedy,” said Dowd.
