FIU held a crowded pep rally to celebrate upsetting Miami. Is FIU football on the rise?

FIU football has never gotten much love on campus.

And why would it? This is not Miami, Ohio State or any other storied program with decades of success. The program isn’t even 25 years old — and most of those seasons have been rather disappointing, as evidenced by its 63-131 record.

The past, however, was an afterthought at Monday afternoon’s pep rally. Students, alumni and faculty turned out in droves to the Graham Center to catch a glimpse of coach Butch Davis and the players who seemingly pulled off the impossible with their 30-24 upset of the Miami Hurricanes

“Never,” replied kicker Jose Borregales when asked if their pep rally crowds are usually this huge. “Not like this.“

The event itself was rather brief, yet that didn’t stop students from climbing the stairs to the balcony once the surrounding area of the GC Pit began to fill.

With students still trickling in, FIU president Mark B. Rosenberg led the crowd in cheers while seizing the opportunity to throw a few barbs at the Canes by referring to his institution as “the real 305.” Davis thanked the fans for showing up on Saturday and Monday. At the sight of quarterback James Morgan, fans begun chanting “Captain Morgan.”

“I think the most exciting thing was taking note of the students’ faces that this was more than just a game,” said Student Government Association president Sabrina Rosell, 21, who has worked diligently to increase athletic attendance numbers.

“To be able to see that excitement today, it was just out of the world for me.”

One alum, Bryant Luna, had come Monday because he thought his Panthers stood no chance against The U. Flanked by his 4-year-old daughter Maddison, Luna hoped Saturday’s victory ushers in a new, more successful era of FIU football.

“If this doesn’t, I don’t know what will,” said Luna, 42.

Surveying the crowd, the oft-quoted coaching sentiment “act like you’ve been there before” came to mind. The celebration seemed a little extravagant for just one win against a team that, as of Saturday morning, many believed to be leagues of ahead of it.

But the truth is the Panthers haven’t been here before. Saturday’s victory marked only the first time in school history that they’ve qualified for three consecutive bowl games.

For a school that has struggled with attendance, Saturday’s victory and Monday’s turnout begs the question is this — both the success and fan support — sustainable? Most students are optimistic.

“It will carry over until next season because we have eyes on us,” said junior Robinson Charrys, 27.

“I think that this is the marking point for history,” Rosell continued. “... Especially after whatever bowl game we participate in, it’s going to change our student attendance, our alumni participation — everything.”

Others are not.

The athletic department is “going to have to hope that students keep this feeling fresh inside of them to the point that they want to come back next year and support,” said senior Gabriel Urrutia.

Hurting their chances is the team’s lack of home games for the rest of season. With the Panthers not playing in Miami again until 2020, it will be difficult to judge whether there’s a change — at least from a support perspective — any time soon.

While Saturday’s upset could be a catalyst for change, it could also be an outlier. FIU football hasn’t given students and alumni a reason to attend games as Urrutia noted in a recent piece. The way this team finishes the season, however, will be key.

“It’s hard to sustain [that feeling] if you can’t sustain the success,” Urrutia, 24, said.