[ad_1]
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame at the Sugar Bowl was canceled after a truck plowed into a New Year’s crowd about a mile away early Wednesday, killing at least 10 people. It has been postponed.
The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday night at the 70,000-seat Superdome, but was postponed 24 hours and moved to Thursday night.
“Right now, that’s the plan,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said.
The Superdome was locked down for security Wednesday morning, and people with offices inside the Superdome, including Sugar Bowl and Sunbelt conference officials, were told not to report to work until further notice.
Some eligible Superdome employees were allowed into their offices by Wednesday afternoon.
The deaths occurred early on New Year’s Day when a driver plowed his pickup truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans’ famous French Quarter. The driver was killed in a shootout with police after the attack along Bourbon Street near Canal Street around 3:15 a.m., the FBI said.
The Georgia and Notre Dame football teams arrived in New Orleans on Sunday and are staying in a downtown hotel just a few blocks from where the violence occurred.
“All team personnel and members of the official team travel party have been verified,” the University of Georgia Athletic Association said in a statement.
New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno told WDSU-TV: “What we’re going to see today at the upcoming Sugar Bowl is an expanded security perimeter around the Superdome, a larger zone. That’s what happened,” he said.
“So obviously we expect additional security. More police officers coming in.”
The Superdome, about 20 blocks away, is also scheduled to host the Super Bowl on February 9th.
The first Super Bowl was also held in New Orleans after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but that game involved a large crowd, including road closures around the Superdome and police officers, including snipers, atop the surrounding hills. Security was put in place. – the rooftops of skyscrapers, and the dome itself.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the devastating incident in New Orleans,” the NFL said in a statement. “The NFL and local host committees have worked with local, state and federal agencies over the past two years to develop a comprehensive safety plan.
“These planning sessions will continue as they do for all major NFL events. We are confident that attendees will have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl experience,” the statement continued.
[ad_2]Source link
