‘Fins Up’: Long Island University Sharks Are the NCAA Tournament’s Feel-Good Team

Fins Up is coming to the Big Dance.

After a heartbreaking end to the 2024–25 season, Long Island University’s basketball team discussed how they could reach new heights the following year. The Sharks’ prior season ended on their home floor at the hands of Saint Francis (Pa.), who went on to clinch the NEC’s automatic bid into the men’s NCAA tournament with a win over Central Connecticut.

LIU came oh so close to reaching March Madness, which left forward Shadrak Lasu and his teammates convinced that 2026 would be the Sharks’ year. Once last season came to an end, the program still had plenty of reason to celebrate as the Sharks finished above .500 and went 12–4 in NEC play after winning just three games two years prior. The group, led by former DePaul star and 17-year NBA guard Rod Strickland, was on the rise and what lied ahead was an even better year.

Yale alum Cameron Koffman and Lehigh grad David Pochapin have been there every step of the way. The pair of friends and college basketball diehards adopted Long Island University after scouting local mid-major programs in the area. They looked at Wagner, Manhattan, Columbia, Iona and Fairfield, then had high hopes for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day game between LIU and St. Francis (Brooklyn), which has since cut its athletic program.

Koffman and Pochapin entered the Steinberg Wellness Center for what was a rivalry game, quickly learning that the energy did not match. And that felt just right for what they were looking for.

“We immediately were like, ‘Oh wow, we can actually influence the game here,’” Koffman told Sports Illustrated. “We realized we could have a lot of fun being loud and active. We were like, this is the place. You’ve got a famous coach [in Strickland], you’ve got a fun mascot in the Sharks and the team could not have been worse. Three wins that entire year, one Division I win.

“It was hard to imagine this going south so it’ll be fun seeing them get a little bit better and better.”

Over time, Koffman and Pochapin became more and more ingrained within the program. In the 2023–24 season, they struck gold with a tradition that has now taken the college basketball world by storm. In a tough overtime loss to Merrimack, the whistle sounded more than you’d like to hear during any basketball game. Pochapin had the idea to adjust the typical hands in the air and silence during home free throws. He said “fins up” and eventually, the cheer section known as “The Reef” began synchronizing a clap above their heads to mimic a shark fin.

Cameron Koffman and David Pochapin founded Long Island University’s “fins up” movement | Photo courtesy of Bob Dea

The entire school bought in and there was apparently a team meeting where players were encouraged to do “fins up” on the bench.

“This was just a fun thing we thought of as we’re at the game to create a little buzz in the atmosphere to do while they were shooting free throws,” Pochapin told SI. “Who knew that it would take on such a life of its own? … A ton of credit to the players because we wouldn’t be here without them and the university, administration and the team for seeing something special we didn’t even see back then.”

“Fins up” has certainly taken on a life of its own. Each year, March Madness brings some magical moments that are seemingly created out of thin air. Last year, it was McNeese’s student manager Amir Khan who became a NCAA tournament darling thanks to his viral entrances with the team. This year, the Sharks and the “fins up” mantra are the beloved March story.

Although the free-throw ritual had gone somewhat viral before, social media personality Jeff Sunday put fuel on the fire with an entirely organic video he posted to X in early March. The clip is downright hilarious, with LIU’s marching band director Spence Howell yelling “FINS UP” before a free throw with a perfect pan to The Reef that shows just a handful of fins in the air followed by applause for the made foul shot.

If you’re wondering why LIU is 11-1 at home, it’s because they have these absolute menaces on the sideline pic.twitter.com/ZTIk9RxxOG
— Jeff Sunday (@TheDegenWeekly) March 5, 2026

From there, the ritual quickly garnered national attention. Nebraska’s student section copied the ritual, shining more light on the Sharks as they grow into this March’s feel-good story. Through all the attention, Koffman and Pochapin are most proud of the team’s play on the court.

LIU clinched the NEC’s auto bid this year with a win in the conference tournament semifinal game as Mercyhurst, who the Sharks met in the final, were ineligible this year with the program in its Division I transition period. That didn’t change how the Sharks approached the NEC title game, however, with The Reef as packed as ever for the final home game of a magical season.

NBC broadcaster and beloved college basketball figure John Fanta made his way to the “Shark Tank” to see the chaos for himself and join in for a “fins up.” A friend brought their dachshund named Winston to The Reef and the adorable pup quickly secured an NIL deal, with TickPick logos adorned to his shark-fin collar for the big game.

Fins Up has taken on a new life of its own with Winston the @TickPick dog!

Let’s go 🦈 pic.twitter.com/j9wJCXKXAk
— Cameron Koffman (@Cameron2020NY) March 11, 2026

LIU won the NEC title outright with a 79–70 victory over Mercyhurst, finishing with a 24–10 record and a 14–1 mark at home playing in front of The Reef. While celebrating the NEC title, players raised the ropes for Koffman and Pochapin to join in on the celebration festivities. They were invited to the team’s selection Sunday viewing party, too. The Sharks knew their name would be called as the NEC’s automatic qualifier, but no one knew whether LIU would have to go to Dayton for a First Four game or be placed into the round of 64.

For Koffman and Pochapin, the uncertainty of the NCAA tournament assignments brought some frenetic travel planning. They had an idea of where the Sharks could go: Dayton for the First Four, San Diego or Greenville, S.C., as a No. 16 seed, or maybe the committee would give the impressive LIU team a higher seed that would bring even further possibilities.

Ultimately, the committee put LIU directly into the round of 64 as the West region’s No. 16 seed with a matchup against top-seeded Arizona Friday in San Diego. That’s a huge win for Strickland’s program, which went 3–26 three seasons ago. But it’s also the furthest possible opening-round location for the Sharks’ biggest fans.

It makes travel tough for the New Yorkers, but Koffman and Pochapin will head to the West Coast to have their fins in the air against the mighty Wildcats, just as the team willed into fruition after last season: This year is the Sharks’ year.

Koffman plans to take a red-eye flight back East late Friday night after the game so he can make a Saturday wedding. Should LIU pull off the big upset, he’ll fly right back to San Diego Sunday.

“The selection committee can’t stop The Reef,” he said over text once the Sharks landed in the bracket.

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