VALDOSTA — Throughout the summer, ESPN will be looking for the city which best shows athletic tradition, pride and accomplishments in its search for TitleTown USA.
Twenty cities have been picked as finalists, with each getting a chance to show its stuff during a piece on SportsCenter.
Valdosta will make its claim for TitleTown USA when the city is shown on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Wednesday, July 16.
The broadcast will cap a four-hour ode to Valdosta, starting at 2 p.m. on ESPN Classic. ESPN’s retro station will show Valdosta’s 2004 national championship game against Pittsburg State (a 36-31 Blazer victory) from 2-4 p.m., followed by the Blazers’ 25-20 title win over Northwest Missouri State last December from 4-6 p.m.
Viewers can than switch over to ESPN for its 6 p.m. SportsCenter, which will be celebrating Valdosta as one of 20 TitleTown USA finalists.
The piece will feature an interview of former Lowndes High football standout Randall Godfrey, who has spent the past 12 seasons in the NFL, by ESPN reporter Wendi Nix, along with footage of thousands of Valdosta-area fans tailgating around Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
ESPN will be in Valdosta next Wednesday, July 9, to do the filming for its feature.
ESPN, Valdosta and Lowndes County have been asking fans to show their support of each school, team and organization that makes Valdosta worth of the nickname TitleTown USA. Fans can show that support by being at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium at 5:30 p.m. for the filming by ESPN.
The buzz the filmed spot has created so far in Valdosta has not gone unnoticed by ESPN, as they have decided the crews staffing their previous TitleTown shoots won’t be enough.
ESPN is discussing adding a jib camera, as well as bringing in a production truck and an extra crew to Valdosta. The previous other shoots, which include Lawrence, Kan. and Massillon, Ohio, didn’t garner as much production as what ESPN has planned for Valdosta.
Along with the shoot, The Valdosta Daily Times will be including cheer cards in the newspaper, three radio stations will be broadcasting live from Bazemore-Hyder, Valdosta mayor John Fretti will be on hand and Applebee’s will be catering for the ESPN crew that night.
Local Sports
Valdosta preparing to make TitleTown pitch
ESPN filming for feature on July 9 at Bazemore-Hyder
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