Notre Dame wins Sugar Bowl, New Orleans’ pro teams reflect on terror attack

The Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans went off without a hitch Thursday, Jan. 2, less than 24 hours after it was delayed due to a terror attack on Bourbon Street. Notre Dame met Georgia as part of the college football playoff, with the Fighting Irish punching their ticket to the semi-finals, 23-10.

The tragedy early on New Year’s Day was ever-present during festivities at the Caesar’s Superdome, with a pregame moment of silence for the victims of the truck attack that killed 14 and injured 35. Extra security was in place in and around the stadium.

Officials reopened Bourbon Street just two hours before kickoff. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s message during a press conference on Thursday morning was clear.

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“I want to reassure the public that the city of New Orleans is not only ready for game day today, but we’re ready to continue to host large-scale events in our city.”, Cantrell said.  

New Orleans is the site of the 2025 Super Bowl, which will be played Sunday, Feb. 9, and bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city. On Wednesday, Jan. 1, the NFL released a statement mourning the victims and reassuring fans concerned about security. 

“The NFL and the local host committee have been working collaboratively with local, state and federal agencies the past two years and have developed comprehensive security plans. These planning sessions will continue as they do with all major NFL events, and we are confident attendees will have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl experience.”, the statement read.

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— NFL (@NFL) January 1, 2025

Professional teams in New Orleans also weighed in on the tragedy.

Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said it clearly affected his team.

“We’re out here playing for the community, we’re out here playing for the city of New Orleans, for the state of Louisiana, we’re playing for our fan base,” Rizzi said. “At times like this, you can uplift people if you can shed a positive light –– in any way you can –– in a moment of disaster, because that’s what this is, it’s a disaster.”

The New Orleans Pelicans played Wednesday night in Miami. They lost to the Miami Heat, and Trey Murphy III said they were thinking about the situation at home.

“People trying to enjoy themselves, now going into the new year with a different mindset.” Murphy said. “There are a lot of families that have to deal with this tragedy. I have a lot of prayers, and my thoughts go out to those families because it just doesn’t make sense.”