“You cannot buy national attention like this,” new Valdosta State University President Patrick Schloss said. “It comes out of the community, the athletes and the university community coming together.

“It was my first day here, and it was bigger than anything I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of big things. I know what it takes to make things like this happen, and I have my deepest admiration to everyone in the community.”

Indeed, the feel around Bazemore-Hyder and the various outlets which showed the “SportsCenter” broadcast was that this was one of the biggest things to ever hit Valdosta.

The city thinks so, too. Road signs are being made marking Valdosta as TitleTown USA, including one which was quickly fabricated for the broadcast on Monday.

“TitleTown USA is about being the best sports town in the nation, and all that it has to offer,” Cagle said. “The enthusiasm ingrained in the tradition here, I think, that’s what football and that’s what sports is all about.”