Sugar Bowl postponed to Thursday 4pm ET after terrorist attack on Bourbon Street

Sugar Bowl postponed to Thursday 4pm ET after terrorist attack on Bourbon Street

Last Updated: January 3, 2025By

The Notre Dame-Georgia Sugar Bowl has been postponed to Thursday after a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street killed at least 15 people and injured 25 others during New Years celebrations early Wednesday morning. The game will kickoff at 4pm ET, 3pm local time on Thursday.

Around 3:15am Wednesday, a pickup truck drove around a police car, onto the sidewalk and then onto the street and crashed into a crowd celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street, one of America’s most famous streets. The pickup truck driver was killed in a gunfight with police and injured two officers. The FBI said the alleged perpetrator is a U.S. citizen from Texas who is an Army veteran. He had an ISIS flag on his pickup truck. IEDs (improvised explosive devices) were found in the pickup truck and around the French Quarter and have been neutralized.

The FBI said in a news a conference Wednesday afternoon that they do not believe the suspect acted alone.

The mayor of New Orleans called it an act of terrorism while local police said the attack was intentional and the attacker was trying to injure as many people as possible. The FBI has taken over the investigation.

Sugar Bowl officials said the decision to move the game to Thursday was out of an act of safety. The kickoff time and postponement was “made in coordination with federal, state and local authorities as well as the College Football, ESPN, the Southeastern Conference, the University of Georgia, the University of Notre Dame and Caesars Superdome.”

Additional security will be on hand at the Superdome to ensure safety for everyone.

The University of Georgia tweeted that one of their students was among those critically injured.

“Our prayers are with the family members and loved ones of all those impacted by the terrible attack in New Orleans early this morning,” Notre Dame President Father Bob Dowd, CSC, said in a statement. “We also pray for all those injured and extend our deepest gratitude to the brave first responders who risked their lives to protect others. To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame. Today, we are in solidarity with all those impacted by this tragedy.”

More than 500 Notre Dame supporters took part in a Catholic Mass at the team hotel Wednesday. The Mass was previously scheduled and went on.

Notre Dame and Georgia was originally set for an 8:45pm ET kickoff on New Year’s Day in the final College Football Playoff Quarterfinal with the winner to take on Penn State in the CFP semifinals.

New Orleans is also set to host the Super Bowl in five weeks.

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