Sugar Bowl update: Notre Dame vs. Georgia kickoff time confirmed
The situation was fluid for several hours after the Sugar Bowl was officially postponed, but Notre Dame and Georgia finally have a concrete kickoff time. The Irish will battle the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday in New Orleans, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Kickoff was scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET (7:45 p.m. ET local time) on Wednesday at Caesars Superdome, about one mile from where a driver crashed his pickup truck into a crowd and killed at least 10 people at approximately 3:15 a.m. Wednesday morning on Bourbon Street.
The game was originally pushed back to 8:45 p.m. ET in the wake of the horrific attack.
“All agree that it’s in the best interests of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game for 24 hours,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley originally said. “There’ll be more details on that in the coming hours, but for now, that’s the plan. We’re gonna move forward and play the game.”
Both teams, however, reportedly pushed for an earlier start time.
The FBI is investigating the massacre as a “terrorist attack.” According to the Associated Press, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the driver was “hell-bent on creating carnage and the damage that he did.”
“It was very intentional behavior,” Kirkpatrick said. “This man was trying to run over as many people as he could.”
Officials also told the AP that investigators also found at least one potential improvised explosive device at the scene, well after the suspect was killed in a firefight with police.
Notre Dame and Georgia arrived in New Orleans on Sunday and enjoyed Sugar Bowl festivities throughout the next two days. The Irish confirmed on social media that all team personnel have been accounted for after Wednesday morning’s tragedy.
A program spokesperson confirmed to Blue & Gold that Notre Dame is sheltering in place at its team hotel.
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University of Georgia president Jere W. Morehead said in a statement that a UGA student was critically injured in the carnage. University of Notre Dame president Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. also released a statement.
“Our prayers are with the family members and loved ones of all those affected by the terrible attack in New Orleans,” Dowd said. “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.”
New Orleans is shaken as New Year’s Day and the Sugar Bowl, ordinarily a cause for celebration and a great source of pride for the city, has turned into a nightmare. Streets that would ordinarily be teeming with fans are empty, save for wreckage and police cars.
As for the No. 7 Irish and No. 2 Bulldogs, they will wait out an extra day before battling for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 6 Penn State.
