It is the biggest regular-season game in the history of the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

We shall now pause 10 seconds for station identification. You're not paying attention to this paragraph anyway. Your mind is aflutter, trying to think of other sporting events in this corner of the world bigger than tonight's Whaler Bowl at cozy Standish Gym.

Keep thinking. Go ahead. Gave myself an Excedrin AM, PM and FM all day Wednesday. But the only game I can recall matching tonight's Ledyard-New London basketball game in the regular season is the 1993 football game between Ledyard and Fitch. Happily, that game exceeded the hype.

Remember now: We're talking regular season. Not ECC Tournament or state tournament. Regular season. And this one ought to be a beauty.

It's got everything. Two teams capable of winning state championships. Undefeated New London and one-loss Ledyard. Who can't stand each other. In a broiling, passion pit of a gym. Bickering. Sniping. Feelings of betrayal. As ESPN's Doris Burke likes to say: "a little animosity is fabulous."

There's a reason we call this the Whaler Bowl. It's a New London Production. This is a game between the region's time-honored program, New London, against many of the people who contributed to the tradition, a bunch of New London guys who went east and have formed a program that's won the most basketball games around here since the 2011-2012 season.

Think about it:

Ledyard head coach Dave Cornish: assistant coach at New London under Craig Parker during several championship seasons.

Ledyard assistant coach Troy McKelvin: One of the greatest players in the history of Whalerville, a future star at Trinity, and for my money the best all-around athlete (football, basketball, baseball) in the history of the place.

Ledyard volunteer assistant coach Ralph Roggero: Led New London to three state championships, an all-timer in Connecticut lore and legend.

Ledyard athletic director Jim Buonocore: former New London great who starred in football and baseball. (Please don't get him going again on his two RBI in the 1991 state championship baseball game, either).

Three Ledyard players - DeAnte Bruton, Leo Clinton and Katt Young - have all played at New London.

Even one of tonight's broadcasters on theday.com., where the game can be seen if you can't get in to the gym, is a New London grad: Casey O'Neill.

Are you not yet sold this night is about the green and gold?

Maybe that's why I nearly spit out my Folgers in the morning Wednesday, learning that Pres. Obama gave New London a shout out during his State of the Union. Pretty timely, no? I know he referred to Coast Guard Academy and its graduates. But the idea that he mentioned the 06320 two nights before the Whaler Bowl must be more than coincidence. (And if it's not, work with me a little).

First thought: I can't wait for next football season. Tommie Major, New London's assistant football coach/pregame preacher, has new weapons in the arsenal. "It's not Norwich County! It's not Ledyard County! It's NEW LONDON County!" he's been known to holler.

And now? Stand back. The president himself dropped "New London" for the world to hear. Not Waterford or Ledyard, as I'm sure Tommie will remind us. Maybe the guy isn't such a crackpot after all for believing New London really is the center of the universe.

I love this, if you can't tell.

Maybe the most amusing part of all has been the coaches, Parker and Cornish, telling us how this is "just another game." Hah. Good one. Normally, that kind of fiction belongs to the library.

Just another game? We'll see at 7:10 for tipoff when the energy in the place will be just as you see and feel on television. (And you can see it on theday.com, if that hasn't already been mentioned).

Hope you can get there. Remember: Let the players play, coaches coach and lay off the refs. Let's enjoy. Games like this happen around here never.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

m.dimauro@theday.com Twitter: @BCgenius