Dealing for the first time with a new system for dispensing precious Kansas University men’s basketball tickets, thousands of students lined up Monday outside Allen Fieldhouse for their shot to see the first five home games.

“It was an absolute mess,” said Arthur Jones, a Dallas junior among the scores who braved rain and confusion to secure their seats.

Students swarmed to the ticket windows on the first of three days they could pick up tickets after becoming concerned about the KU Athletic Corp. overselling the student section of the fieldhouse.

Not all of the tickets were given out Monday, but it wasn’t clear how many were left, associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said.

Selling more tickets than there are student seats in the fieldhouse is done every year, Marchiony said.

“We know from experience that not everybody who has a ticket shows up for a basketball game,” Marchiony said. “We’ve never had a problem getting students into a game.”

But concerns are rising because more students bought ticket packages this year than in previous years. That raised the possibility that there might not be a seat for all the student fans on a given game day.

“Because of the numbers this year, there is a slim possibility we might have to hold a partial lottery,” Marchiony said.

At the beginning of the year students can purchase ticket packages that allow them to attend home games for all sports. Tickets for the first home basketball games became available for students to pick up Monday. Other game tickets will be issued later.

There are 4,000 seats available to students for men’s basketball games, Marchiony said. But about 7,500 sports packages have been sold this year. And while overselling hasn’t caused a problem in the past, about 700 more students bought the packages this year.

Kansas University students wait in line outside Allen Fieldhouse for men's basketball tickets. Monday's line stretched from the doors of the Fieldhouse to Naismith Drive. Under a new distribution system, tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served priority.

Thus, tickets will be given to the first 3,800 students who claim them through Wednesday. The identities of students trying to collect the remaining 200 tickets will be taken and they will be told that there might be a lottery.

If fewer than 200 “extra” students show up by the end of Wednesday, then there will be no lottery and tickets will be sent to the remaining students, Marchiony said.

Students in line Monday didn’t want to gamble on a lottery.

Eric Skoglund, an Olathe senior, said he was nervous about being one of those stuck with the luck of the draw.

“I’ll be comfortable when I have them,” he said of the tickets.

Eva Reed, a Kansas City, Kan., junior, waited in line for four hours before getting her tickets. She said some students were able to pick up tickets for their friends, as long as the proper identifications were shown.

6Sports video: Student ticket holders may have to participate in lottery More about men’s basketball tickets

“That just makes things take longer,” Reed said.

To ease that problem, today there will be a separate ticket window set up for students picking up multiple ticket packages, Marchiony said.

Students who don’t want to participate in a lottery can request a refund on the basketball portion of their sports packages. Written requests must be sent to the KU Athletic Ticket Office in the fieldhouse by Oct. 29.