The Sugar Bowl matchup between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Bulldogs has been postponed due to what the FBI called a terrorist attack in New Orleans.
A driver plowed into a crowd during New Year’s Day celebrations, leaving 15 people dead and dozens more injured.
Due to the act of terrorism, the Sugar Bowl, which was initially supposed to be played on Wednesday (Jan. 1), inside the Caesars Superdome has been moved to Thursday at 4 p.m.
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Several Fighting Irish players are from Metro Detroit, and many of their families are in New Orleans, which Local 4 spoke to on Wednesday ahead of the game.
Former Dearborn City Council member Tom Tafelski was staying in a hotel just blocks away from where Texas native and former US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed into the crowd on Bourbon Street.
“We awoke in the middle of the night, early morning of night to a lot of sirens going up and down the streets,” said Tafelski.
Tafelski said he didn’t think much of it until the calls came in from Metro Detroit family members who were concerned about his safety.
“It’s just a tragic situation, and we feel bad for the lives down here,” Tafelski said.
Tafelski and other family members are in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl to watch his son Jake play for Notre Dame.
Tafelski said the family had been out on Bourbon Street earlier in the night.
“The Louisiana State Police was out there,” Tafelski said. “The parish sheriff was out there, and the police in the city of New Orleans police were all out in full force. You felt safe.”
The kickoff for the Sugar Bowl matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia was set for Wednesday night, but after the tragic events, it was postponed until Thursday.
‘Obviously for public safety, the greater good," Tafelski said. “We were busy changing our flights and trying to extend our stay, as well as other parents and fans.”
