The final quarterfinal game of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff had been postponed after an armed man killed 14 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.
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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 lock it down,” Cassidy said. “The Sugar Bowl, the Superdome has been locked down. There is going to be no problem there.”
Will this affect the CFP schedule moving forward?
It appears the schedule for the College Football Playoff will not be changed. The semifinal matchups are still slated for Thursday, January 9 and Friday, January 10.
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The Sugar Bowl, originally scheduled to take place on January 1st, was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Notre Dame football program. The outbreak resulted in a significant number of players and staff testing positive for the virus, leading to concerns about the safety and well-being of everyone involved.
As a result, the College Football Playoff committee made the decision to postpone the game to a later date to allow for proper testing, contact tracing, and quarantine measures to be implemented. This decision was made in the best interest of the health and safety of all individuals associated with the game, and to prevent the potential spread of the virus to other teams or personnel.
The new date for the Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia has not yet been announced, but it is expected to take place once the outbreak has been contained and it is safe to resume play. In the meantime, both teams are continuing to follow strict health and safety protocols to ensure the well-being of their players, coaches, and staff members.
We will continue to provide updates on the rescheduling of the Sugar Bowl as more information becomes available. Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time.
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