The impact of Miami basketball on Oxford businesses

It’s no secret that Miami University’s basketball teams had unprecedented success this season. The men’s team were the eighth team in all of college basketball since 1976 to be undefeated in the regular season, made March Madness for the first time since 2007 and won a game in the tournament for the first time since 1999. The women’s team won the Mid-American Conference championship for the first time since 2008, making an appearance in March Madness as a 13-seed.

This success has not only impacted the university’s image and branding, but it’s also been a factor for Uptown businesses.

One of Oxford’s most iconic restaurants is Bagel & Deli Shop. Opened in 1976, the store is a favorite among students for their steamed bagel sandwiches and late hours.

“I mean, it definitely helped out on game days, because people started going to games, people started coming to town for them,” Gary Franks, co-owner of Bagel & Deli, said. “In past years, the basketball season was just, you barely notice a lot of the time, or a few games that might draw a few people in, but this year we still had a lot of crowds.”

Franks, who has worked at the Uptown business for decades, said this season was a “wild card,” which made it harder to prepare for.

“February is always kind of a slower time of the year... [the] weather’s not that great, so [it’s] definitely helpful,” Franks said.

At the beginning of the season, many were doubtful that Miami’s success would continue as they played through their schedule. As time passed, the RedHawks success was harder to ignore and attendance increased, which Franks says increased business.

“As that streak went on longer and longer, definitely, the crowds got bigger and bigger, more enthusiastic about it,” Franks said.

As Miami continued to win games, the team received national attention. This included a surprise feature from CBS Sports, with Miami basketball legend Wally Szczerbiak visiting Bagel & Deli before the RedHawks game against Ohio University. Besides just business, Franks said this increased publicity and led to old friends reaching out.

While not every business was lucky enough to be featured on national TV, plenty of other businesses also saw increased business, which they attributed to the men’s basketball team’s success.

Another one of those businesses was OxVegas Chicken, founded in 2024 by two graduates from the Farmer School of Business.

“We had a lot of people come in here wanting to watch the game,” said Caitlin Smith, assistant general manager at OxVegas Chicken. “We have several TVs in here, so a lot of people come in and order drinks or food. It has impacted our sales in a positive way.”

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Smith said OxVegas Chicken saw an increased number of customers as the season went on, similar to Bagel & Deli.

“Especially when they were on their winning streak, we had several more people wanting to come in and at least sit at the bar and watch the game … so we put it on all the screens so people could come in and watch,” Smith said.

Compared to the football season, Smith said the restaurant saw more customers during the basketball team’s win streak than throughout the football season.

Bruno’s Pizza, another Oxford favorite, also saw increased business.

“We definitely saw an influx in business, similar to Miami’s hockey season and the success they’ve had as well over the years,” Aryn May, co-owner of Bruno’s Pizza, wrote in an email to The Miami Student. “The large crowds and higher traffic volumes didn’t scare people away … it was an exciting time in our community and we loved watching the success they had.”

It wasn’t just restaurants that saw an increased number of visitors either. Other Uptown businesses felt the results of basketball success.

“When we started seeing the basketball team win more, we started to try to get as much Miami gear as possible,” said Ethan Stewart, co-owner of Flow State Vintage, a used clothes shop in Uptown.

Similar to other businesses, Flow State Vintage also saw more customers come in than usual, in comparison to the football season, as well as previous basketball seasons.

“I feel like we do sell Miami stuff [during the football season], but it’s pretty steady throughout the year in general,” Stewart said. “Especially just because they’re doing so well, and then everyone’s talking about it, which makes everyone want to have more [merchandise], and that’s why we were really pushing to get as much Miami [clothes].”

smithat4@miamioh.edu

martino9@miamioh.edu