NFL, New Orleans officials say Super Bowl LIX will be safe for fans after deadly attack

Should the Chiefs succeed in making NFL history by winning a third straight Super Bowl, it would take place next month in New Orleans.

And the game would be held just weeks after a deadly attack early Wednesday in New Orleans. At least 10 people were killed and more than 35 injured after a person drove into a crowd in the French Quarter, NBC News reported.

That story said New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick called the driver a “terrorist.”

The Sugar Bowl game between Georgia and Notre Dame, which was scheduled for Wednesday night in New Orleans, was postponed until Thursday.

Super Bowl LIX is scheduled for Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, and the NFL released a statement emphasizing that fans who attend the game will be safe.

“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 in a statement. “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.”

A NOLA.com story noted that “all Super Bowls are designated ‘Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1’ events, which means the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ... requires significant federal coordination due to their national and international importance.”

Walt Leger III, president of New Orleans & Company, the city’s tourism organization, told NOLA.com that Super Bowl LIX security will be reviewed in the near future.

“There will be more deep conversations in the coming days and weeks to discuss possible enhancements for the Super Bowl,” Leger said. “We already had a great plan in place and certainly when there is an event like this it makes you look and see what further enhancements might be made.”

Jay Cicero, president of the New Orleans Super Bowl host committee, reiterated that fan safety for the Super Bowl is of primary importance.

“The New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee is in contact with local, state, and federal public safety partners and is actively monitoring the mass casualty incident that happened in the French Quarter early on New Year’s Day,” Cicero said in a statement. “We share our deepest condolences to all of the victims and their loved ones.

“Fan and event security is a priority for the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the NFL, the New Orleans Saints, the state of Louisiana, and the city of New Orleans. We have been working collaboratively with our public safety partners and the NFL for more than two years on comprehensive security plans for the 2025 Super Bowl. These discussions and plans will continue in the coming days and weeks ahead. Our focus right now is on our neighbors, friends, and visitors.”