Jordans Furniture UConn deal: Why company is risking $50 million if Huskies' mens, women's teams reach championship

In the past few decades, it's never been a bad bet to predict the UConn Huskies to reach the NCAA Tournament championship game — whether the men's or women's program.

In the 2020s alone, UConn has won two men's March Madness titles. In the 2010s alone, the Huskies' women's squad won five titles. And in 2026, there remains a chance both teams will come out on top of their respective brackets.

As UConn's two basketball teams have progressed through the NCAA Tournaments, each reaching the Final Four, consumers in the New England area have been watching closely. A furniture chain, before March Madness began, offered a unique, but simple promotion: If UConn men's and women's basketball's teams both reach their NCAA Tournament championship games, then a large group of recent customers will be getting their furniture for free.

Here's what to know about Jordan's Furniture's deal to promise free furniture if UConn reaches both March Madness championships.

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Jordan's Furniture UConn deal

Jordan's previously announced a promotion that was fully reliant on the success of UConn's basketball programs. It's fairly straightforward: if both the Huskies men's and women's squads reach their NCAA Tournament championship games — regardless of the result of the title game afterward — then any qualifying purchase made at the furniture store from Jan. 20 until Mar. 1 would be free.

According to Jordan's Furniture's website, the promotion was applicable to both in-store and online purchase in that span, customers were automatically entered into the promotion upon purchase of eligible merchandise, and if the UConn teams successfully reach the championship games, then customers would receive a rebate for their purchase price paid.

The site qualified eligible merchandise as including any item (furniture, mattresses, accessories, or other) sold at a Jordan’s Furniture store location or online at jordans.com during the buying period. However, it was only an eligible purchase if it was between Jan. 20 and Mar. 1.

If UConn's top-seeded women's team beats No. 1 South Carolina in the Final Four, then the second-seeded men's team takes down No. 3 Illinois, then plenty of New England customers will be getting free furniture.

Because it's such a rarity for both of a school's basketball teams to reach the NCAA Tournament title game — it's only happened twice, both with UConn in 2004 and 2014 — the odds would typically be stacked against the promotion being fulfilled. But with the women's Huskies squad dominated through March, and the men's team stunning Duke to reach the Final Four, it may just happen.

The store also had a similar promo in 2007, when the Boston Red Sox were in the World Series. If the Red Sox won, the store pledged to give out free furniture; Boston would end up sweeping the Colorado Rockies in four games that series. 30,000 happy customers received free furniture. Here is a short video outlining the history of Jordan's Furniture giveaways.

Jordan’s Furniture store (@jordansfurn) is giving away free stuff if BOTH UConn teams make the National Championship 😮https://t.co/amLF0Mc53f pic.twitter.com/jgbCISBLJ4

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What customers can win with Jordan's Furniture deal?

Only customers of Jordan's Furniture from Jan. 20 to Mar. 1 are eligible to receive a full rebate for their purchase if UConn's teams reach the March Madness championship games. The promotion has been over since the start of March, so no new purchases qualify.

The retired president of Jordan's who is still the face of the retailer, Eliot Tatelman, told WCVB that the money, if it's paid out, would be coming from an insurance company, not the store itself.

"I mean, these people that have furniture in the houses right now that bought during this promotion, they're watching these games, I'm watching these games," Tatelman said. "People think that it's coming out of my pocket. First of all, I don't have that kind of money, number one. And number two, it's not coming out of my pocket. It's coming from the insurance company. So we want everybody to get free furniture."

Tatelman also told WCVB that if it's paid out, the total price tag for all the furniture being rebated would be around $50 million.

"$50 million is going back to our customers," Tatelman said. "So I mean, could you imagine if you bought a whole house full of furniture, you're going to get a check back for the whole thing? I mean, talk about exciting, especially after that last game."

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What is Jordan's Furniture's connection to UConn?

Jordan's Furniture is a New England-based store, making its rooting interests known for the Connecticut/Boston-based sports teams. It was created in 1928 in Waltham, Massachusetts, by Tatelman's grandfather, and it has eight locations in the New England area.

In fact, the company has done promotions in the past for Boston's sports franchises, per WCVB.

"You've got to listen because, listen, in 2007, $35 million went back to our customers when the Red Sox won the World Series. So these things can happen," Tatelman said, per WCVB. "One of the highlights of my life is that I was on the float with David Ortiz and Manny on the Red Sox parade, and I was on the duck boats, and people were holding up signs, 'Thanks for the free furniture.' And that was 2007. And I'll never forget it. It was one of the highlights of my life."

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