Twenty people stood in line at four registers inside the Syracuse University Bookstore Monday afternoon clutching orange clothing as they waited to pay.

More patrons poured over large tables where mounds of the popular ‘Marathon Men’ T-shirts lay piled. The shirts, which celebrate the SU men’s basketball team’s six-overtime win over the University of Connecticut in the Big East Tournament March 12, had to be restocked several times throughout the day.

Julie Persaud, a sophomore history major, said she decided to purchase one Monday for a family member. It is the first time she’s bought a shirt at the bookstore since coming to SU, she said.

‘I would get the shirt even if they weren’t in the (NCAA) Tournament,’ Persaud said. ‘It’s the cool thing to do. Everyone is getting a shirt.’

These shirts are part of a recent spike in sales at local apparel stores, an increase spurred by the recent success of the SU men’s basketball team. The team is currently making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006.

The SU Bookstore has already sold more than 35,000 of the Marathon Men T-shirts which cost about $12.50 each, said John Groat, an SU alumnus and owner of Holy Shirt!, the company that manufactures the shirt.

‘This has been an unbelievable shirt. We’ve never ordered this many before,’ said SU bookstore Division Merchandise Manager Gail Youmell. ‘This is our top T-shirt we’ve ever sold.’

Youmell said business always picks up when SU enters the NCAA Tournament, but this year the bookstore is seeing a larger increase in traffic than past years.

‘We’ve had thousands of Web orders. Every single day people are in and they’re calling on the phone or they’re placing their order online to pick up here,’ she said.

Sales of the ‘Marathon Men’ shirts have already almost doubled the amount of ‘Overrated?!!’ shirts, which celebrated former SU guard Gerry McNamara, sold during its entire run, Youmell said.

The bookstore places new orders daily from Holyshirt! and does not anticipate running out soon, she said.

Manny’s, an apparel shop on Marshall Street currently selling the ‘Six in the City’ T-shirt along with the SU Athletics’ Web site, declined to comment on sales.

Follett’s Orange Bookstore also had no comment but had two signs hanging in their store informing customers they do not sell the Marathon Men tT-shirt and directing them to the SU Bookstore.

Dave Jacobs, of Shirt World on Marshall Street, said he’s also seen an increase in business since SU entered postseason play.

‘It’s a very exciting time of year here now,’ Jacobs said. ‘We have great fans.’

Jacobs said the only way he sees business slowing down is if Syracuse loses.

But Syracuse’s performance in the tournament hasn’t spelled as much success for other campus businesses. The owners of Augie’s Pizzeria and Acropolis Pizza both said they’ve seen only a slight change in business.

Dave Murphy, the operator of Augie’s Pizzeria, said most of his costumers don’t sit and stay during the games so there’s not too much additional business. Murphy said he will not run additional promotions.

‘I think when we get farther in, things will pick up more,’ said Peter Mavrikidis, the owner of Acropolis. ‘I think after another round things could start to get better.’

Mavrikidis estimated around a 5 percent increase in profits from the past two weekends. He said things might improve if Syracuse makes it to the finals though, although he’s not too upset with the increase in these tough times.

‘Everything can help. Anything at any time,’ said Mavrikidis. ‘There are so many things coming up that you never expected.’

adbrow03@syr.edu

Published on March 23, 2009 at 12:00 pm