LIU Basketball Superfans Ignite March Madness with ‘Fins Up’ Phenomenon
Two New York friends turned a late-night idea into a national viral chant. They first showed up at an LIU game in January 2023.
From empty stands to a new tradition
Cameron Koffman and David Pochapin attended a game when the Sharks were 0-16 versus Division I opponents. The team was also 0-6 in conference play. Fewer than a dozen fans sat in the arena that night.
KenPom ranked LIU as the lowest of 363 Division I teams that season. The opponent that night folded a few weeks later. Koffman and Pochapin were not LIU students. They had met in the Bronx and later attended Yale and Lehigh.
Creating the chant
The pair began shouting “Fins Up” and cupping their hands above their heads to mimic a shark fin. The ritual replaced boredom during long free-throw stretches. The chant first entered game-day routine in a 2024 home contest against Merrimack.
That Merrimack game featured an extraordinary 77 free-throw attempts. Band director Spencer Howell noticed the gesture and adopted it for the band. Howell, hired from the University of Alabama, helped the chant spread across campus.
Campus embrace and viral growth
What began in a near-empty gym became a campus staple. Students and athletes began yelling the phrase spontaneously. The chant also appeared in a widely shared video featuring Howell.
The slogan echoed beyond LIU. High-major schools, including Nebraska, borrowed the move. The phrase evolved into a social media trend and a recognizable in-arena ritual.
March spotlight and the NCAA matchup
LIU enters the NCAA Tournament as a 16 seed. The Sharks will face a 30-2 Arizona squad that steamrolled through the Big 12. The scheduled tip-off is Friday at 1:35 p.m. EST in San Diego.
Arizona will bring thousands of traveling fans. Koffman and Pochapin purchased tickets through the university portal. They planned to fly across the country to support the team in person.
Players and coaches react
Coach Rod Strickland, a former NBA player, praised the supporters for committing to the program. Guard Greg Gordon predicted the first tournament “Fins Up” would resonate widely. Supporters say the chant helped create an 11-1 home mark for LIU.
Why it matters
LIU Basketball superfans built community that a small program often lacks. Their actions brought attention during a period of program transition. The Sharks had previously been the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds before merging with LIU Post and rebranding.
In an era of roster turnover and consolidation, the ‘Fins Up’ phenomenon symbolizes unpredictability and passion. Fans outside the program found a way to make college basketball feel personal again.
Filmogaz.com’s Ralph Russo contributed reporting to this story.
