What is One Piece, Rutgers Basketball's Latest Partner?
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Many older fans looking for cheap tickets to the Rutgers vs. Indiana men’s basketball game tonight were understandably confused to find seats priced in the hundreds to watch two struggling Big Ten squads at Jersey Mike’s arena.
Why the high demand, you ask? You can thank the legendary anime and manga property, One Piece, for all the commotion. The long-running, world-renowned Japanese media franchise first debuted in print as a manga in 1997, followed by the anime television series in 1999. Created by Eiichiro Oda, it follows Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates on a quest for the ultimate treasure, the "One Piece", to become the King of the Pirates, captivating fans globally for nearly three decades.
As of late 2025, the One Piece manga has sold over 578 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling manga series of all time. It also holds the Guinness World Record for the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author. For comparison, the One Piece series has outsold DC’s Batman comics and is on pace to surpass Superman, the all-time leader with an estimated 600 million copies sold since 1938.
Friday, Jersey Mike's Arena hosts a special One Piece night. The event features a themed halftime show, a t-shirt toss, exclusive One Piece promotional card giveaways, and video shout-outs from the Netflix live-action cast. It’s part of a larger collaboration between the One Piece media franchise and a select group of college basketball teams. In addition to Rutgers, the franchise has teamed up with fellow Big Ten member Illinois, Big East members Georgetownand Saint John's, and Big Twelve member Houston.
During tonight’s game, the marching band and cheer squad will perform the iconic “We Are” One Piece theme during halftime. With the way the Scarlet Knights and Hoosiers have struggled this season, it would be little surprise to Rutgers fans if the halftime show is the highlight of the night.
Look for big man Emmanuel Ogbole to be catching a peak of the halftime show. The 6’10, 270-pound physical specimen to behold is a big fan of Monkey D. Luffy, the optimistic, rubber-bodied captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, whose dream is to find the legendary “One Piece” treasure and become the King of the Pirates.
Luffy gains his stretchy abilities from accidentally eating the Gum Gum fruit and is famous for his iconic straw hat. He is also known for his boundless energy, loyalty to his crew, and fierce determination, something Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell can get behind.
While Monkey D. Luffy searches for the One Piece treasure, Ogbole and his teammates will be searching for another win, starting against the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday night.
And for those of you attending tonight’s game, don’t throw those promo cards away. Word has it from the Straw Hat Pirates that they may be worth a small fortune.
John Catapano graduated from Rutgers in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, covering the women’s field hockey and soccer teams for the campus paper, The Daily Targum. After college, he moved to Los Angeles, got a job at Walt Disney Television, and has worked in media ever since. John currently works with the Wasserman Media Group in their Brooklyn, NY office, collaborating with brands, influencers, and athletes across the globe. When the pandemic struck in 2020 and Catapano began working remotely, he resumed writing by contributing to a Rutgers fan blog. He covered various sports, highlighted human interest stories, and focused on topics that Scarlet Nation wanted to discuss. It’s never easy being a Rutgers fan, but with over 500,000 alumni living worldwide and a passionate fanbase, covering the Scarlet Knights is always engaging.