SYRACUSE N.Y. (NCC News) — Sales at Manny’s Quality SU Clothing on Marshall Street fell due to struggles of both Syracuse University’s football and men’s basketball teams.
Mike Theiss is the general manager of Manny’s. Due to football and men’s basketball drawing the most fans to the JMA Wireless Dome, those games bring Manny’s the most business, said Theiss.
The sales numbers of Manny’s is directly proportional to the performance of Syracuse’s most popular teams, according to Theiss.
“The better the team is doing, the more people come to the Dome, the more people come to the store,” Theiss said.
Syracuse Football started 3-1 in 2025, including a win at Clemson. After an injury to quarterback Steve Angeli, the team lost its remaining eight games. The loses caused business at Manny’s to become very bad, according to Theiss.
When comparing the 2024 and 2025 football seasons, Theiss saw a noticeable difference in the success that Manny’s had, and it was for the worse. In 2024, Syracuse football won 10 games – winning their first bowl game since 2018.
Theiss agreed that consistent success in athletic programs at Syracuse is important to the success of the store long-term. That consistency is seen in Syracuse’s lacrosse programs, however, those victories are not as impactful to the business growth, Theiss said.
“Lacrosse does help our business, they don’t move the needle as much as football or basketball do,” said Theiss. “But they do move sales.”
The difference in impact from sport to sport, is due to the different attendance figures for each game. Football and men’s basketball draw significantly more fans to the Dome than lacrosse. More fans coming to the dome means more fans coming to door of Manny’s.
Theiss has worked at Manny’s for 15 years. He recalls a time where making the NCAA tournament was a given for the Syracuse men’s basketball. Now however, Syracuse is nearing it’s fifth straight year of not qualifying for March Madness.
“Back in the day when were going to the NCAA tournament every year, we wouldn’t print any special shirts for the tournament until we got to the Sweet 16,” Theiss said. “The way it has been now, say for instance this year if we made it the NCAA tournament, we would probably make special shirts for the first round cause people would be so excited.”
Syracuse men’s basketball attendance has also been hurt by late tip-offs. The team played four games in the Dome that started at 9 p.m. EST this season. Killing attendance at the Dome, and the amount of people stopping in the store, according to Theiss.
The desire to buy Syracuse merchandise is reduced because of a lack of team success according to the fan base as well.
Syracuse student and fan Sam Dine noticed a falling in attendance as the 2025 football season progressed. An unwillingness to buy more Syracuse clothing followed.
“It probably does correlate to winning, because at the beginning of the year I was buying more stuff,” Dine said.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Performance of Syracuse’s athletic teams directly impacts the success of local businesses
Cameron Whiley: Welcome to Manny’s! Where you can basically buy anyone, anything, Syracuse University. Manny’s is heavily branded towards the university’s athletic teams. Manny’s general manager Mike Theiss says the success of Syracuse athletics teams heavily impacts the business.
Mike Theiss: You know when the team’s doing better, you get better attendance at the Dome, more people stopping in the store.
Whiley: In 2025, Syracuse football won only three games. Theiss says that compared to 2024’s 10 win season, sales were noticibly different.
Theiss: The team obviously didn’t do as well. Sales were really bad after the Clemson game. So it was disappointing.
Whiley: For an over 30-year period spanning from the 1980s all the way to the mid 2010s Syracuse men’s basketball failed to make the NCAA tournament only five times. However, since 2015 the team has failed to make the tournament eight times. These shifts in consistencies has caused Manny’s to operate differently in the postseason.
Theiss: When we were going to the NCAA tournament every year we wouldn’t print any special shirts for the NCAA tournament until we got to the sweet-16. Say for instance this year we were going to go to the NCAA tournament I would probably start printing some special shirts for the first round.
Whiley: The link between buying merchandise and and the success of Syracuse athletics is also known by the fanbase.
Sam Dine: It probably does correlate more to winning cause in the beginning of the year I was getting more stuff in the beginning of the season.
Whiley: Both those who work at Manny’s and the Syracuse faithful are just hoping they can stop saying…
Theiss: Let’s wait until next year.
Whiley: Cameron Whiley, NCC News.