Dogs trained to identify explosives and other extra security screenings greeted football fans Thursday as they arrived at the Superdome in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.
The game between Georgia and Notre Dame, which is part of the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff, started at 2 p.m. MST.
It was originally scheduled for Wednesday night at 6:45 p.m. MST but it was postponed after a man intentionally drove a truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers early Wednesday morning on Bourbon Street, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens.
Changes to Sugar Bowl
As law enforcement officers continue to investigate the New Orleans attack, which the FBI has described as an act of terrorism, the city moved forward with the Sugar Bowl while accepting that the game would look different than it would have on Wednesday.
For one thing, heightened security measures are in place. Specially trained dogs sniffed “every car” that entered the Superdome’s parking lot, as well as backpacks worn by people entering the stadium, according to The Washington Post.
For another, there will likely be more empty seats in the stadium Thursday than there would have been on Wednesday, since changing the game time made it impossible for some ticket holders to attend.
The Associated Press spoke with football fans who had to fly home from New Orleans Thursday before the Sugar Bowl started because they couldn’t change their flights. Many said they gave up on trying to resell their tickets since demand was so low and simply accepted the financial loss.
“Of course we’re disappointed to miss it and to lose so much money on it, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter,” Lisa Borrelli, a 34-year-old from Philadelphia, told the AP. “We’re fortunate enough that we’ll be fine.”
Other ticket holders said they were choosing to skip the game because Wednesday’s attack made them want to be safe at home.
“I think the first instinct of most people this morning was wanting to be home. As important as football is to our Georgia culture, for a little while, the game just didn’t really seem to matter,” said Darrell Huckaby, 72, of Athens, Georgia, to The Associated Press.
U.S. airlines are waiving change fees on flight plans involving New Orleans and, in some cases, adding additional flights to help get people home, The Washington Post reported.
Georgia and Notre Dame teams regroup
In the aftermath of Wednesday morning’s tragedy, the Georgia and Notre Dame football programs stayed in their hotels, holding team meetings in ballrooms, per The Associated Press.
Team leaders helped players connect with their families while working to confirm that everyone affiliated with their program was accounted for.
The Georgia program watched for updates on a Georgia student who was injured in the truck attack. School president Jere W. Morehead said in a statement Wednesday that the student was “critically injured,” as the Deseret News previously reported.
Notre Dame chose to give members of the university band the option to go home Thursday before the game, the AP reported, noting that some students did leave.
President Joe Biden recorded a message for New Orleans and the rest of the country about Wednesday’s attack that played at the start of the Sugar Bowl.
In it, he expressed support for New Orleans and urged the country to stay unified.
“There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together,” he said.