With the Vols men's basketball team in the semifinals of the SEC tournament, managers of Knoxville restaurants and businesses are hoping a few more wins in March will help drive a boost in business.
Alex Hill, general manager of West Hills Flats and Taps, said it's a longtime trend — good performance on the court translates to a good time at the restaurant.
"It's definitely a noticeable increase when the Vols are doing well, both football and basketball but especially this year, we've seen a rise in business for pretty much every UT basketball game," Hill said.
The Vols surpassed regular season predictions and won the title of co-SEC champions. With their quarterfinal win over Mississippi State Friday, UT moves on to the SEC Tournament semifinals. They'll play the winner of the Florida-Arkansas game.
The success is a welcome change for fans after plenty of heartbreak during football season.
"We were all a little bit disappointed in football season this year, so basketball has kind of been that pick me up after a rough year for vol fans," Hill said.
The staff at Alumni Hall is noticing the excitement customers are bringing into the store.
"They're excited about the players, love the coach, just excited about the possibilities we have in March," manager Chris Renshaw said.
"It's nice to be excited in March. It's been a long time since we've had something to root for in March, and it's nice to have something to root for," he said.
The men's team will find out their first match-up in the NCAA tournament on Sunday. The Lady Vols find out their first March Madness game on Monday.