The Superdome, set to host a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night, was on lockdown for security sweeps after a truck plowed into a New Year's crowd about a mile away, killing 10 people and injuring more than 30.
People with offices in the Superdome — including officials with the Sugar Bowl and Sun Belt Conference — were told not to come into work until further notice. However, there was no immediate word that the Sugar Bowl, scheduled to kick off at 7:45 p.m., might be delayed.
“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning," Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said. "We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.”.
A person familiar with the situation said there was no immediate indication that the game would be delayed but that officials were waiting to get an all-clear from authorities that it would be safe to keep the event at the 70,000-seat stadium on schedule.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive and fluid nature of the discussions with authorities. The casualties occured when a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day. The driver was killed in a firefight with police following the attack at about 3:15 a.m. along Bourbon Street near Canal Street, the FBI said.
