NCAA volleyball tournament brings economic boost to Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Volleyball fans from across the state and beyond descended on the Star City on Thursday to witness the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.

And all of those people in Lincoln means businesses are seeing a boost in sales.

Rosie’s Downtown has seen 50% to 60% more business on days with volleyball games and the nights before, general manager Josh Munford said.

“It’s the holiday season, so it’s nice for the servers and everybody to see a little bit more business to take some presents home,” he said.

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With Christmas a few weeks away, some folks may want some Husker souvenirs, especially if they are coming from out of state.

“A lot of the younger girls, if they come in with their families, want to take home a volleyball jersey just to say, ‘Hey, I was there,'” said Joey Rupp, general manager of Best of Big Red.

One family from near Sioux City came into the store looking for a souvenir after their daughter watched her first Husker match.

“We want to support the team first of all,” mother Natalie Kirkholm said. “But then, it’s nice to have a keepsake or something to remember these fun times with.”

With Lincoln hosting first and regional round tournament games, Rupp said it has definitely helped sales after a lackluster football season.

“Daily sales have been up since the volleyball tournament started,” she said. “It’s definitely been a big factor in where our sales have been in the last two weeks.”

She expects sales to continue to increase if the Huskers keep winning on the road to the Final Four and the national championship.