Sugar Bowl postponed by New Orleans attack

Wednesday’s scheduled College Football Playoff quarter-final game between Georgia and Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl has been postponed 24 hours due to the early New Year’s Day vehicle attack in New Orleans that killed at least 10 people.

The Sugar Bowl announced it has rescheduled the game for Thursday at 8:45 p.m. Eastern Time.

The decision comes in response to the deadly incident in New Orleans’ French Quarter that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, when a pickup truck drove into a crowd celebrating the new calendar year in what authorities have called a deliberate attack. The driver then exchanged gunfire with New Orleans police and was killed in the altercation.

The incident took place roughly a mile away from the Superdome, the site of the Sugar Bowl, and just blocks from hotels where Georgia and Notre Dame players were staying.

“Public safety is paramount,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said at a media conference announcing the postponement. “All parties all agree that it’s in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game for 24 hours.”

Update on the Allstate Sugar Bowl pic.twitter.com/lq8QKO18xO

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The athletic departments of both Georgia and Notre Dame did issue statements declaring that all players, team personnel and members of the school’s travelling parties were all safe and accounted for.

“To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame,” said Notre Dame president Rev. Robert A. Dowd. “Today, we are in solidarity with all those impacted by this tragedy.”

The NFL also issued a statement regarding its security plans for next month’s Super Bowl, which will also take place at the Superdome on Feb. 9.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of the devastating incident in New Orleans,” the league said. “The NFL and the local host committee have been working collaboratively with local, state and federal agencies the past two years and have developed comprehensive security plans.

“These planning sessions will continue as they do with all major NFL events,” the statement continued. “We are confident attendees will have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl experience.”

Wednesday’s scheduled game had been one of the most anticipated quarter-final matchups of the newly-expanded 12-team Playoff, as it features two of college football’s most storied programs in the SEC champion Bulldogs and the 12-1 FIghting Irish.

Georgia (11-2), the No. 2 seed in the field, is seeking its third national championship in four years. Seventh-seeded Notre Dame advanced to the quarter-finals with a 27-17 victory over Indiana in the first round.