Tight security at Superdome for rescheduled Sugar Bowl game in wake of New Orleans attack

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The annual Sugar Bowl was rescheduled for Thursday after being postoned one day in the wake of the truck-ramming attack early Wednesday morning on Bourbon Street that left at least 15 dead and dozens injured.

Law enforcement said the attack occurred at 3:15 a.m. local time, about 16 hours before the Georgia Bulldogs were expected to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoffs at Caesars Superdome.

There were discussions Wednesday morning about possibly postponing or canceling the Sugar Bowl -- a college football game played annually at New Orleans on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day since 1935 -- due to the number of resources needed to secure the venue, according to sources briefed on the discussions.

Kickoff for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Georgia and Notre Dame was set for Jan. 1 at 7:45 p.m. CT but will now be played at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 2.

The winner advances to the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl against Penn State.

"Public safety is paramount," Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said at a media briefing alongside federal, state and local officials, including Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. "All parties all agree that it's in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game."

Homeland Security Investigations said in a brief statement they are helping secure the Sugar Bowl this afternoon in New Orleans.

"Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans will work in conjunction with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and security of spectators attending the Sugar Bowl," Eric Delaune the Special Agent in Charge of HSI's New Orleans field office said. "As always, the wellbeing of our public is HSI's foremost priority, and along with our partner law enforcement organizations, we will continue to work tirelessly to provide a secure environment for sports fans and the general public to enjoy our wonderful city."

All game tickets for Wednesday night's game will be valid for Thursday.

The decision to postpone the game meant numerous traveling fans with tickets would not be able to attend. Ticket prices online plummeted in some cases to less than $25 as fans with plans to depart on Thursday tried to unload them.

"We can't get new flights," said Lisa Borrelli, a 34-year-old Philadelphia resident who came to New Orleans with her fiance, a 2011 Notre Dame graduate.

Postponing the game "was absolutely the right call," she said. "I completely understand."

She said they paid more than $250 per ticket and hadn't bothered listing them for resale yet because prices were so low.

"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," Borrelli said. "We're fortunate enough that we'll be fine."

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said the decision to postpone the game "was not done lightly."

"It was done with one single thing in mind: public safety - making sure that the citizens and visitors of this great city, not only for this event, but for every event you come to in Louisiana, that you will be safe," Carter added.

"I tell you one thing: Your governor's going to be there," Landry said. "That is proof, believe you me, that that facility and this city is safer today than it was yesterday."

"On behalf of the College Football Playoff, we are devastated by [Wednesday] 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 [Thursday] afternoon."

The Superdome was on lockdown for security sweeps on Wednesday morning.

Both teams spent most of the day in their hotels, holding meetings in ballrooms.

Georgia's players were bused to the Superdome for a walk-through practice on Wednesday evening. As they made their way to buses on Canal Street, fans in red and black stood eight to 10 deep behind barricades, cheering them on, phones held high above their heads to capture the scene.

Around that time, at a hotel on the banks of the Mississippi River, Notre Dame players gathered with family members in a ballroom where the Rose Bowl quarterfinal between Ohio State and Oregon was being shown on television.

Notre Dame offered band members the option of flying home on Thursday instead of attending the game, and some chose to do so.

Georgia president Jere Morehead said the university confirmed that a student was among those critically injured. Morehead said the university was in contact with the student's family.

Statements from the University of Georgia Athletic Association and from Notre Dame said both schools had accounted for all team personnel and members of official travel parties.

The Superdome, which is about 20 blocks away, also is scheduled to host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.

The first Super Bowl after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, also was held in New Orleans, and there was a massive security perimeter for that game including street closures surrounding the Superdome and officers - including snipers - on the tops of surrounding high-rise buildings, as well as on the roof of the dome itself.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of the devastating incident in New Orleans," the NFL said in a statement.

"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," the statement continued. "We are confident attendees will have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl experience."

Both schools also issued statements, offering condolences to the victims and their families.

"We are horrified and saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred in the early hours of New Year's Day in New Orleans," the University of Georgia wrote in a statement on X. "University personnel are working to determine if any UGA students, faculty, staff, alumni or fans were among the victims. We offer our deepest condolences to all the victims and their families, and we stand in solidarity with the New Orleans community."

"Our prayers are with the family members and loved ones of all those impacted by the terrible attack in New Orleans early [Wednesday] morning," the Rev. Robert A. Dowd, president of Notre Dame, said in a statement. "We also pray for all those injured and extend our deepest gratitude to the brave first responders who risked their lives to protect others. To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame. Today, we are in solidarity with all those impacted by this tragedy."

According to the New Orleans Police Department, the attack on Bourbon Street occurred as the department was "staffed 100%" for New Year's Eve and the Sugar Bowl.

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this post.