State College is a town where the local community and economy revolve around the football season, and local businesspeople say Penn State's winning record this fall has had a major effect on downtown businesses.

Michael Woytowich, the director of advertising and promotions at the Student Book Store, 330 E. College Ave., said sales at his store have jumped this year.

"We've experienced a sales increase of 50 percent this football season as compared to last season, so this is pretty solid evidence that the Big Ten Championship and the Orange Bowl really have helped our sales," Woytowich said.

"When there is a good football season, people want to show off their school pride, so they have been stocking up on football merchandise."

Woytowich said normally the Student Book Store does very well with its sales over the Internet and through the mail, especially around this time of year due to the holiday season, but this has been an "exceptional" year for business.

The Corner Room, 100 W. College Ave., also experienced a change in the amount of business they dealt with this football season in comparison to last year, according to restaurant manager Sandra Jeffers.

"Whenever we have a football schedule with a lot of home games in a row, it really helps out all the businesses in State College, and since we had so many home games in a row this year, business in this town was really flying," Jeffers said.

Philip Geanacopoulus, an employee at The Deli, 113 Hiester St., said any time there is a major increase in the population of a small town -- during football weekends -- there is a major increase in revenue for local businesses.

Geanacopoulus, who has been working as a bartender for the past three football seasons, said he has never seen such a busy football season.

"The weekend of the Ohio State game was the busiest that I have ever seen at The Deli," he said. "I'd say that there were at least 100 more people in for happy hour each game weekend this season than there were last year."

Kate McDougall, a McLanahan's employee in the Penn State Room, 414 E. College Ave., said that McLanahan's has a wide variety of championship merchandise available that ranges from jackets and jerseys to mugs and hats.

The Penn State Room at McLanahan's has seen such an increase in business because of these national wins that they have sold out of some of the most popular items.

"Our Orange Bowl mugs and cups were so popular with fans that they sold out even before the actual game was held," McDougall said. "This is the first time our team has done so well in a long time."

At The Family Clothesline, 352 E. College Ave., manager Toby Grove said the winning football season not only boosted the sales of football merchandise at her store, but also sales of merchandise pertaining to other Penn State sports.

"This season the football team's success has definitely been spilling into other sports as well," said Grove. "Everyone is so hyped up about the football team and just Penn State sports in general that they are going to other sports games."

Geanacopoulus said a lot of people came to State College this season who do not normally visit State College during football seasons.

"You have to expect a huge increase in business when you have a winning football team because it is not only students who are out spending money but alumni and their families as well," he said. "There were so many more people brought into town this season which improved business everywhere, and it is due 100 percent to the fact that our football team had a winning season."