Student move-in and the first football game have not occurred on the same weekend since 2003, but local businesses said these and other factors have contributed to increased sales over the holiday weekend.

Typically, the first game brings a significant increase in sales, but the timing of this year's game made it unique, said John Lindo, general manager of Student Book Store, 330 E. College Ave.

"This hasn't happened in a while, where students came back the exact same weekend as a game," he said.

Last year's 11-1, Orange-Bowl winning season also added to the large volume of sales this weekend, Lindo said.

"Especially after last season ... optimism about what will happen this season will be high," he said.

Although the caliber of the opposing team can increase or decrease sales, Akron's modest reputation was overshadowed by the move-in and first-game appeal this weekend offered, Lindo said.

"We had a very good weekend ... even with the bad weather," Lindo said. "In comparison to this week, there may be a lull in sales for the Youngstown game in a couple weeks."

Last season's success definitely boosted sales and made this year's opening football weekend more profitable than last, said Kevin Shaffer, shift manager at Bill Pickles Tap Room, 106 S. Allen St.

"Everybody's gonna expect the team to do just as well," Shaffer said. "Coming off of a good season, it will probably be a little bit busier."

The situation this weekend did not quite double sales, but there was a noticeable increase, Shaffer said.

Shaffer added that a winning season makes a big difference in sales compared to a losing season.

"We definitely see a difference between winning and losing," Shaffer said. "If the team is not winning, people just aren't coming out, and they aren't having as good of a time."

Having a successful season brings more people into town and increases business, but a poor season can have the opposite effect, said Justin Kramm, owner of Gingerbread Man, 130 Hiester St.

"It definitely does [affect sales]," Kramm said. "If they have a bad year, it can definitely hurt business in State College."

The rivalry and starting time of certain games can also have a significant impact on sales, said Tracy Bell, store coordinator of The Family Clothesline, 352 E. College Ave.

Last year, the evening game against Ohio State left the store "jam-packed" because the opponent was not only a conference rival, but the timing of the game also gave people all day to shop.

Move-in weekend is a busy time even without the game, Bell said, because it brings kids who want to represent their school by purchasing Penn State merchandise and parents who want to represent their kids by donning Penn State apparel themselves.

In addition to the football game, other events and concerts scheduled for this holiday weekend, including Sunday's Bob Dylan concert at Medlar Field, brought people into State College and increased the store's sales, Bell said.

The only drawback was that new student employees did not have a full week of training, Bell said.

However, she said it was still great for business to have so many people in town.

Although the rain slightly hindered sales, the weekend was as busy as expected, Bell said.

Yesterday was also hectic because classes hadn't started yet, and parents were still in town getting their Penn State gear, she added.