At more than 400 national, state and regional titles, Valdosta-Lowndes County is without a doubt a TitleTown.

Per capita, Valdosta-Lowndes County likely has more titles than other contending cities, even the big ones like Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, and New York.

But will those numbers, our championships from Valdosta High, Lowndes High and Valdosta State football, as well as championships in so many other schools, organizations, sports and activities, will those championships alone be enough to name Valdosta as ESPN’s TitleTown USA?

They will do a lot toward potentially achieving that goal but so will our participation, our support for all of our championship teams and champions, this week when ESPN comes to town.

An ESPN crew will be filming at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Local organizers have invited everyone in the community to attend to celebrate our claim to becoming TitleTown USA. A tailgate party starts at 3:30 p.m., around Bazemore-Hyder and Drexel park, with everyone asked to be inside the stadium by 5 p.m.

ESPN NFL reporter Wendy Nix is scheduled to report on Valdosta and our nomination to TitleTown USA. NFL linebacker Randall Godfrey, a Lowndes High School graduate, former University of Georgia football player and NFL free agent, is also expected to be a part of the ESPN coverage.

The thing to remember is TitleTown is about all of Valdosta and Lowndes County. It is not just one high school. It is not just one sport. It is about being a community of champions.

Valdosta-Lowndes County is a region familiar with welcoming home champions. Those 400-plus championship titles speak to that familiarity. Let’s welcome ESPN like a town of champions. Let’s show them and the world why Valdosta deserves to be called TitleTown USA.