Marcus Freeman Recaps Emotional Day After New Orleans Attacks and Sugar Bowl Rescheduling

The Notre Dame head football coach joined Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter Wednesday night

Nov 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman walks the field before the first half against the Army Black Knights at Yankee Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

It's easy to look at the awful events of early Wednesday morning and struggle to see the significance of a college football game.

That's what both the Notre Dame and Georgia football teams were faced with to start the new year as following the events that took the lives of 15 individuals in the first hours of 2025. The teams were scheduled to play in the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night. That game will now instead take place at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman joined Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter Wednesday night and recapped what was an eventful day.

Marcus Freeman on Initial Notre Dame Team Meeting Wednesday in New Orleans

Orleans Parish Coroner vans on Bourbon St in New Orleans, LA following Terrorist attack on Bourbon St. on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. / SCOTT CLAUSE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame held an initial team meeting on Wednesday morning after hearing the news of the attack but not yet being informed that the Sugar Bowl was being postponed.

"The first part of that meeting was to mourn and pray for our country," Freeman said on Wednesday's SportsCenter. "But the end of the meeting was to redirect our focus to preparing for this game."

Marcus Freeman on Understanding Opportunity Still Ahead of Team

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— University of Notre Dame (@NotreDame) January 1, 2025

"We have to understand there's a game to play and an opportunity for both programs to play in the college football quarterfinals and we have to make sure we're ready," Freeman said.

Marcus Freeman on Rallying Around New Orleans

Jan 1, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; All side streets are blocked leading into the mass casualty area for law enforcement to investigate the scene. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

"In the toughest moments, the culture of any program, of a nation, are revealed," Freeman said. "I have a lot of faith we're going to rally around the city of New Orleans."

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