Local businesses in Bloomington credit IU’s undefeated football season for rising sales as the team sets up for its first College Football Playoff National Championship.
No. 1 Indiana will play No. 10 University of Miami in the CFP National Championship at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. This is the first time a team in the championship will host the game at its home stadium.
Businesses on Kirkwood Avenue said they expect full houses for Monday’s game, consistent with increased customer traffic this season.
Zachary Smith, bar manager at Nick’s English Hut, said a key part of running a bar is always being prepared for people to come in to watch football. However, he said the school’s unprecedented season has noticeably intensified the fans’ energy.
“We're normally closed on Mondays, but we're going to have a full staff of people, and we're going to treat it like one big party day, you know, like Mardi Gras,” Smith said.
Smith also noted the rise in college-aged customers has come alongside an influx of older alumni.
“It’s something we’ve never seen,” he said. “There's lines out the door every game.”
The season has been monumental for supporters as well. In September 2025, Indiana’s game versus Illinois set one of the highest recorded attendances, with 56,088 fans packing Memorial Stadium. This figure nearly reached the 56,233 in attendance at a game versus Purdue in 1969.
Those fans have also set foot into Kirkwood Avenue’s apparel stores, Homefield at Tracks manager Travis Nash said. He said the store plans to restock Indiana apparel staples and football merchandise before Monday.
Nash, who has been managing the store for around a year, said he thought December was going to be slow with students leaving campus for winter break.
Instead, December turned out to be the store’s busiest month in 2025.
“We were looking forward to some, like, really relaxing, peaceful shifts that, in fact, did not happen,” Nash said.
Riley Saalfrank, key holder at The Indiana Shop, said the store has adjusted to this season’s success by reopening late at night after games end. He said employees plan to replenish the sales floor with National Championship merchandise.
“We have a couple different designs coming out,” Saalfrank said. “We just got a Mendoza jersey in and then we have different, like, IU versus Miami stuff going out.”
He said sales have almost tripled since 2024, when Indiana football had an 11-2 season.
“It's just nonstop,” Saalfrank said. “But like, it's hard to be upset of when your work is doing good because the football team is doing so well.”
Jaeda Reinhardt, a shift leader at BuffaLouie’s at The Gables, said the restaurant plans to make operational preparations for Monday, ensuring there are enough wings and salads so business can run smoothly.
Reinhardt said lots of customers have been coming in and asking what toppings are on the Mendoza Bros. Burger, a partnership with redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his brother Alberto Mendoza, a redshirt freshman quarterback.
The partnership began in summer 2025 and was motivated by their mother Elsa Mendoza’s fight with multiple sclerosis. Proceeds from the sandwich are donated to the National MS Society.
Since 2024, BuffaLouie’s has also run a concession stand at Memorial Stadium. Reinhardt said the stand broke a sales record this year. Store sales were through the roof too, she said.
“Before game starts, everybody comes in, and they're dining in, getting tables and whatnot,” Reinhardt said. “It's really busy, really crowded. People are loud. People are getting hyped for the game. People are cheering, streaming the Indiana theme song. It's great.”
