Georgia Tech must face Sister Jean, too

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the 101-year-old chaplain for Loyola Chicago, will be in Indianapolis for the first-round game against Georgia Tech. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Credit: Chicago Tribune

Credit: Chicago Tribune

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the 101-year-old chaplain for Loyola Chicago, will be in Indianapolis for the first-round game against Georgia Tech. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Sister Jean will be in the house.

Georgia Tech’s road in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament just got a little tougher in facing Loyola Chicago. Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the 101-year-old chaplain for Loyola Chicago, will be in Indianapolis for the first-round game Friday. The school confirmed Sister Jean has been cleared to travel, which was in doubt because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The star and good luck charm of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, when Loyola Chicago reached the Final Four as a No. 11 seed, has been vaccinated, she told the Chicago Tribune. She has not been able to attend a game this season.

No. 9-seed Tech (17-8) will play No. 8-seed Loyola Chicago (24-4) at Hinkle Fieldhouse at 4 p.m. Friday in a first-round game of the Midwest Regional.