One of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal games, the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame, was postponed after a vehicle plowed into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans early Wednesday morning, resulting in the death of at least 15 people.
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The game, which was scheduled to take place at the Superdome with a capacity for 70 thousand spectators, was delayed 24 hours until Thursday night. “For now, that's the plan,” said Jeff Hundley, CEO of the Sugar Bowl.
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The Superdome was on lockdown for security checks on Wednesday morning, as people working at the venue, including Sugar Bowl officials and Sun Belt Conference officials, were told not to report to work until further notice.
How was the attack in New Orleans?
The attack occurred when a driver rammed a van into a crowd in the famous French Quarter of New Orleans in the early hours of New Year's Day.
The driver was shot down in a confrontation with the police after the attack, around 3:15 a.m. on Bourbon Street near Canal Street, said the FBI.
The football teams from Georgia and Notre Dame arrived in New Orleans on Sunday and are staying in downtown hotels, just blocks away from where the incident occurred.
The president of the New Orleans City Council, Helena Moreno, told WDSU-TV: "What you will see for the Sugar Bowl, which will take place, is that the security perimeter around the Superdome has been extended to be a larger area."
New Orleans will host the Super Bowl
The Superdome, which is about 20 blocks away from the site of the attack, classified as "terrorist by authorities," is also scheduled to host the Super Bowl on February 9th.
The first Super Bowl after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, was also held in New Orleans, and there was a massive security perimeter for that game including street closures around the Superdome and officers —including snipers— on the tops of the surrounding tall buildings, as well as on the roof of the dome itself.
"We are deeply saddened by the news of the devastating incident in New Orleans," the NFL said in a statement. "The NFL and the local host committee have been working collaboratively with local, state, and federal agencies over 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 that attendees will have a safe and enjoyable experience at the Super Bowl."