The final quarterfinal game of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff had been postponed after an armed man killed 15 people and injured 30 early Wednesday morning after driving a pickup truck through a large crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
The game was pushed from New Year’s Day on Wednesday to Thursday to ensure public safety amid the unfolding incident.
“All agree it’s in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game,” said Sugar Bowl committee CEO Jeff Hundley on Wednesday.
The game, set to feature the CFP’s No. 2 seed Georgia taking on the No. 7 seed Notre Dame, was scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday but will now be played at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck puts in his mouth grad on the final play during overtime of the SEC championship game against Texas.
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Bourbon Street attack: What we know
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. ET Wednesday morning, according to responders. The driver, later identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, opened fire on police officers in the area.
The gunman was fatally shot by police not long afterwards. The FBI and federal law officials noted that the driver had an ISIS flag, potential IEDs, and multiple weapons in his vehicle.
Sugar Bowl security and safety measures
There should be no issue with security at the game, according to Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy.
In an interview with CNN, Cassidy claimed that he was “extremely confident” the Sugar Bowl would still be played. In the wake of the attacks, additional security will likely be provided at the stadium.
“The standard operating procedure for a big game like the Sugar Bowl, for a Saints game, for the Super Bowl is to go through the building, make sure there’s nothing there that’s wrong, and then to…
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