Pete Maranzano runs the bookstore at NJIT and on Monday morning he received a phonecall from someone in Michigan who wanted to place an order.
When Maranzano asked the guy why a Michigan fan wanted to buy NJIT products, the man told him he was a Michigan State supporter.
“He ordered two hats and he said he was wearing them to razz on Michigan fans,” Maranzano told SNY.tv by phone Tuesday morning after the New York Times first reported the story.
NJIT, the lone independent Division 1 program in the nation, upset No. 17 Michigan, 72-70, on Saturday in Ann Arbor.
Since then, the NJIT bookstore has been flooded with online orders from Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana and other Big Ten fans looking to add NJIT gear to their collection.
“Typically on a Monday morning we’ll come in and have four or five orders if that many,” Maranzano told SNY.tv. “[This Monday] we had 90.”
He added: “I just looked at our sales percentage, our clothing and gift sales are up 250 percent from what we did last year. It’s been kind of awesome.”
Asked how many came from other Big Ten schools, Maranzano said, “Probably half of them, if not more. I don’t have an exact number. It’s noticeable, we’re sending to East Lansing and Ohio and Indiana.”
Said NJIT coach Jimmy Engles: “Really clever. That’s what college is all about.”
