As soon as the clock hit triple zeroes on Saturday, the team at Campus Ink and the NIL Store fired up their machines and got t-shirts and other merchandise printed.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - It's been a busy two days since the Illini defeated Iowa and clinched their spot in the Final Four. As soon as the clock hit triple zeroes on Saturday, the team at Campus Ink and the NIL Store fired up their machines and got t-shirts and other merchandise printed.

They haven't stopped printing for more than 40 hours since the conclusion of the Illinois-Iowa matchup. 

"In the first 24 hours, over 5,000 were ordered online and [for] pickup," said Steven Farag, co-founder and CEO of Campus Ink and the NIL Store. "And then through all of our retail partners, like, probably another four or 5000, and that is just until this morning. We've been getting preorders nonstop." 

Farag brought back a design his co-owner launched in 2005, the last time the Illini made it to the Final Four. This time is different, though, because with NIL rules, the entire team profits from their jerseys on the shirt.  

"This is the only piece right now in the market that makes the entire team money," Farag. "That we get to sell for the Final Four is just like a super full circle moment." 

The merchandise made at Farag's store is distributed across the C-U area, where fans are desperately trying to get their hands on it. At the Gameday Spirit Store on Green Street, they stayed open late into Saturday night to get Final Four merch into fans' hands. 

"It was almost immediately right after that final buzzer Saturday night, and it's just been nonstop," said Corey Shumard, retail manager of Gameday Spirit Stores in Champaign. "We're selling out and then filling back in as quickly as we can." 

Shumard said they are struggling to keep inventory of every style and size because demand is so high. The last few days, the store has hit record sales. 

It's also a nostalgic moment for Shumard, who worked at the store in 2005. He's happy to share the joy of another Final Four with the next generation of Illinois fans. 

"They're tired of hearing my stories from 21 years ago," Shumard said.

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