Everything we know about the status of the playoff game between Notre Dame and Georgia

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Everything we know about the status of the playoff game between Notre Dame and Georgia

At least

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after a suspected terrorist

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of revelers celebrating New Year’s festivities in New Orleans’ popular French Quarter neighborhood.

FBI agents are now leading the investigation into the

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on Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, as people celebrated the start of the New Year.

Besides ringing in the New Year, tens of thousands of University of Georgia and Notre Dame fans descended upon New Orleans to attend the Allstate Sugar Bowl, one of this year’s College Football Playoff games. A parade was held in the French Quarter at 2 p.m. local time that featured marching bands, floats and dance groups winding through the French Quarter.

The parade helped kick off the city’s New Year’s festivities as well as the big matchup at the Caesers Superdome, which was scheduled to kick off on Wednesday evening.

However, with the FBI investigating the incident and the public being told to stay away from Bourbon Street as it’s now become a grisly crime scene, will the game still go off as planned?

What is the status of the game?

As of now, the game is still scheduled to be played on Wednesday night, with kickoff set for 7:45 p.m. local time at the Caesars Superdome.

Jeff Hundley, the CEO of the Sugar Bowl, said on Wednesday morning that the game’s committee was still talking to local and federal officials about the status of the highly anticipated contest.

“The Sugar Bowl Committee is devastated by the terrible events from early this morning,” Hundley said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are in ongoing discussions with authorities on the local, state, and federal levels and will communicate further details as they become available.”

Officials say the Sugar Bowl will go on as planned despite the terrorist attack on New Year’s Day (Getty Images)

What have officials said?

Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said in a press conference on Wednesday morning that she wanted the city and its visitors to “continue enjoying” New Orleans despite the horrific attack.

“We are going to make sure our routes and our Superdome are safe today for the game, and yet we had this tragic event and we’re sorry to everyone, but we do want you to go about the day, just stay away from Bourbon Street,” she said.

The NFL also released a statement in the wake of the tragedy. The Sugar Bowl is set to be played in Caesars Superdome, where the Sugar Bowl is also held.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of the devastating incident in New Orleans. Our thoughts are with the victims, the New Orleans community and all those affected. 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 league said. “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.”

Who is playing?

The 91st Annual Sugar Bowl will feature SEC champion and No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

This game is a quarterfinal matchup in the College Football Playoff, which is in its first year of an expanded 12-team format. Notre Dame beat the Indiana Hoosiers in the first round to face the Bulldogs, who received a bye.

The winner of this game will move on to the semifinal round next week to face No. 6 Penn State at the Orange Bowl in Miami Lakes, Florida.

Police cars are outside the Caesars Superdome hours after 10 were killed in New Orleans after a terrorist attack (Getty Images)

Other bowl games respond

The Tournament of Roses and the city of Pasadena, California — ahead of Wednesday’s Rose Parade and Rose Bowl — said in a statement on Wednesday that they “extend our deepest sympathies to the people of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans following this morning’s tragic events.”

Adding that they stood “in solidarity with the entire state during this difficult time,” Pasadena reassured visitors and fans that the city undergoes months of preparation for its New Year’s Day parade and has a “hard shut down of vehicles along the entire Parade route in addition to very robust vehicle barriers at intersections.”

The Atlanta Police Department also responded by noting that it would be increasing security ahead of Wednesday’s Peach Bowl.

“We acknowledge the concerns raised following the events earlier this morning in New Orleans, LA. In advance of the Peach Bowl, the Atlanta Police Department had already implemented increased security measures, including the deployment of additional officers,” the department said. “In light of today’s development and as an added precaution, specialized units and additional personnel will be further deployed to the Downtown and Midtown areas to ensure the continued safety and security of residents and visitors.”

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