| College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Moved from Jan. 1 to Jan. 2 |
| NEW ORLEANS – Tonight’s College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl has been postponed to tomorrow (Thursday) at 3 p.m. (Central) due to today’s early-morning terrorist attack. The decision was made in coordination with federal, state, and local authorities as well as the College Football Playoff, ESPN, the Southeastern Conference, the University of Georgia, the University of Notre Dame, and Caesars Superdome. With law enforcement assets that would typically be allocated to an event of this stature currently engaged in active investigations related to the incident, the postponement will allow for additional security resources to be put in place in order to maintain the typical standards of a major event in the Caesars Superdome. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families as we work through this,” said Jeff Hundley, the chief executive officer of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. “We have full faith and confidence in the governor and the mayor and all the federal, state, and local first-responders that they’ve applied to this horrific event. Any time we have an event like the Sugar Bowl, public safety is paramount, and all parties involved agree that could only be achieved with a postponement. Now we will move ahead to take care of the details to make the Sugar Bowl the first-class, fun, and safe event that it has been for over 90 years.” “On behalf of the College Football Playoff, we are devastated by this morning’s attack, and our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy,” said Rich Clark, the executive director of the College Football Playoff. “We are grateful to the leadership of the Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, the State of Louisiana and federal authorities as we work together to ensure we can provide a safe environment for everyone. We are also appreciative of ESPN’s flexibility in moving the game to tomorrow afternoon.” The game will still be televised on ESPN. Additional details will be shared as that information becomes available. All game tickets for tonight’s game will be valid for tomorrow. The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 29 national champions, 107 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 90-year history. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.5 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org. |
