ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — The city of Ann Arbor is buzzing with excitement as the University of Michigan men's basketball team advances to the Final 4, the men's hockey team heads to the Frozen 4 and the women's basketball team competes for a Final 4 spot on Monday.
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The historic run for Michigan sports has the campus feeling electric, with fans eager to celebrate and purchase new gear marking the iconic moments.
"Seeing everybody’s excitement and passion just for what’s going on in sports here in Michigan in general, it’s just a lot of fun," Dearron Haygood said.
Haygood, the general store manager of Rally House on State Street in Ann Arbor, kept busy Monday with his staff unpacking boxes and displaying newly printed Final 4 gear for the basketball team.
"Actually I’ve had at least 50-plus phone calls this morning, people looking for the product, so there’s a lot of excitement," Haygood said.
Fans were flocking into the store Monday to support their favorite team.
"This is my last year. It’s really great. I’m lucky we made it to the Final 4," Michigan student Hanfu Hou said.
The excitement extends beyond men's basketball. The men's hockey team is headed to the Frozen 4 next week, and the women's basketball team has the opportunity to make it to the Final 4, setting up a potential trifecta for Michigan sports.
"This is just truly a unique experience to be able to have three teams playing at this level right now," Tim Jensen said.
Jensen, the general manager at the M Den at the Crisler Center, noted that online orders for official Final 4 gear have been constant. They expect to have the merchandise in person come Wednesday. The success of the sports teams is translating into good news for local businesses.
"My dad went to Michigan about 30 years ago, so it’s been exciting at home too," Michigan student Fiona Hawk said as she picked up some Final 4 gear. "I was gonna get him a T-shirt too."
As the teams gear up for a historic run, fans are preparing to support their favorites. However, some fans, like Ron Bolzman and his brother, are holding out for a different kind of merchandise.
"Oh, I’m waiting for the national championship shirt," Ron Bolzman said.
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