Nebraska Student Section Hijacks LIU’s Viral ‘Fins Up’ Free Throw Routine In Bizarre Scene
What are we doing, Huskers?
Welcome to the 2026 college basketball season, where we have a story involving a very strange crossover between two absolute powerhouses in men's hoops: Nebraska and Long Island. The only thing the two programs have in common is that neither has ever won an NCAA Tournament game, but Husker fans are oddly trying to mimic fans of the much smaller school.
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Earlier this season, the Long Island fan section known as ‘The Reef’ went viral across social media thanks to its ‘Fins Up’ gesture, which was introduced by buddies Cameron Koffman and David Pochapin where they shout the phrase and fans put their hands above their heads during free-throw attempts to form what is supposed to be a fin. It makes sense with LIU's mascot being a shark.
‘Fins Up’ has quite literally taken over the college hoops world this season. Not only is it the perfect example of the power of social media, but it also carries some magic with it as the Sharks became the first team to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament over the weekend. Not only has the LIU basketball program gotten more publicity than ever before, but the team has put together an impressive 23-10 campaign.
So, what the hell do Long Island fans throwing up fake fins at their basketball games have to do with Nebraska? Absolutely nothing, of course, but that didn't stop Husker fans from stealing the viral free-throw gesture during Nebraska's regular-season finale against Iowa on Sunday.
None of this makes any sense whatsoever.
The optimists out there will just chalk this up as one of those weird college basketball moments that make the sport great, while the pessimists (me, in this situation) will see this as stolen valor and rather pathetic behavior.
Nebraska has roughly 24,000 students, while LIU enrolls about 8,000 fewer and doesn't exactly have the sports history the Cornhuskers boast across the board.