BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Long Island University supporters David Pochapin and Cameron Koffman launched the "Fins Up" chant during a January 16, 2023, basketball game at Steinberg Wellness Center in Brooklyn. At each free throw attempt, Pochapin yells "FINS UP" and fans clap their hands above their heads.

The January 16 game between the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers and the Long Island University Sharks drew an official attendance of 400. Pochapin, Koffman and Ian Lipman were among the crowd at what was billed as the "Battle of Brooklyn."

"The environment was terrible. You walk in, it reeks of a swimming pool," Pochapin said about his initial impressions of the venue. The Steinberg Wellness Center hosts college basketball games directly above a swimming pool.

"What if we just started to become the fan section of this school? What if we just start coming? What would happen if we just started bringing our friends and getting loud and getting excited?" Pochapin said.

The courtside fan section at Long Island University home games became known as "the Reef," while the gym became known as "the Shark Tank." Pochapin and Koffman donated slogan-adorned T-shirts to promote a handful of Long Island University games.

"But it just didn't feel the same as it did at LIU. This gym felt like you were up in there, as close as you could be to the floor," Koffman said.

During the Northeast Conference championship game at the Steinberg Wellness Center, nearly every fan raised their hands in the "fins up" motion during free throws. More than 1,500 fans attended the championship game to see Long Island win the title. A video of marching band director Spence Howell helping lead the "FINS UP" motion received more than one million views on X.

The athletic programs of Long Island University's Brooklyn and Post campuses merged in fall 2018. Before the merger, LIU Brooklyn's mascot was the blackbird with black and blue team colors, while LIU Post's mascot was the Pioneer with green and gold colors. Long Island University held a student vote to choose a new mascot from among the Eagles, Falcons and Sharks, with the student body selecting Sharks for the merged Division I athletic department.