BOCA RATON, Fla. — This week it's back to class, back to reality for Florida Atlantic University students and the basketball team.
You can feel it on campus now, their new-found fame is growing.
It's not just the hoopers. Junior FAU band member Noah Goins is hitting the big-time as well on social media — all because of his skill playing the cowbell during basketball games.
From Yahoo Sports posting "The real start of the Final Four is FAU's cowbell guy" to a CBS Sports TikTok stating "FAU's cowbell guys is a whole vibe," Goins has become well-known.
WPTV caught up with Goins at FAU's main campus in Boca Raton.
"Did you ever think, the shades, the cowbell was going to catch on, on social media like it did?" WPTV's Mike Trim asked.
"No, I was playing," Goins said. "I was just doing my thing. I was vibing."
As the Owls were battling in their Final Four game against San Diego State, Goins made the big time with a camera close-up.
It all jumped off from there.
"When you started seeing social media, the tweets, the TikToks rolling in, what were you thinking?" Trim said.
"I was like, that's me, right there! I took a double-take. I was like, what?" Goins said.
A Caesars Sportsbook tweet quickly drew a comparison to the famous "Saturday Night Live" cowbell skit featuring Will Ferrell.
FAU's band was allowed to bring 29 members to play at the NCAA tournament games.
"Everyone's still excited. Like, of course, tough loss, but everyone's excited that we came this far," Goins said.
Band buddy and bass player Franklin Ticas Castellon summed it up.
"We're back to reality and it feels like I went through a dream for the past month," Castellon said.
Now they're both laughing it up with the Goins cowbell fame and nicknames.
"They're flying everywhere, it's just a matter of which one sticks, really," Castellon said. "FAU Cowbell Guy. Cowbell King. The Cowbell Kid."
The basketball team is bringing back just about everybody next season and the cowbell seems to be coming back as well.
"Do you think the cowbell could be the recipe for success for next season as well?" Trim asked.
"Of course," Goins said. "I definitely think this is going to be a new tradition for us, too."
