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Join Telegram ChannelNotre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman revealed his message to his team ahead of the Sugar Bowl after the game was postponed due to a terrorist attack.
The terrorist attack in New Orleans, which left more than a dozen dead, forced the postponement of the College Football Playoff game from Wednesday night to Thursday night at 4 p.m. ET.
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman speaks to reporters in New Orleans, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Georgia will face Notre Dame in the CFP Sugar Bowl NCAA college football quarterfinal game on Jan. 1, 2025 . (AP Photo/Gérald Herbert)
Freeman appeared on ESPN and told Scott Van Pelt what he told his team.
“The first part of this meeting was to cry and pray for our country,” he said. “But the end of the meeting was to refocus us on preparing for this match.”
Freeman said he and his players understood the larger meaning of putting on a game and that while winning to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals was important, rallying around the city following a terrorist attack was also a concern.
A general exterior aerial view of the Caesars Superdome, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
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“In the most difficult times, the culture of any program, of a nation, is revealed,” he added. “I am confident that we will rally around the city of New Orleans and support all of the victims and families affected today.”
The winner of the game between Notre Dame and the Georgia Bulldogs will face Penn State in the next round. The Nittany Lions defeated the Boise State Broncos in the first game of the quarterfinals of the holiday weekend.
A man leaves a bouquet of flowers at the intersection of Bourbon Street and Canal Street during the investigation after a van crashed into a crowd of revelers early on New Year's Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, at the New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthieu Hinton)
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Security will be increased around Caesars Superdome. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he plans to attend the game.
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