It's happened a couple of times earlier this season, and maybe once last season, but never in the manner in which it occurred last Friday. Fans actually lined up to buy men's basketball tickets.

Almost 150 students lined Rec Hall's corridors by the time the ticket office opened at 11:35 Friday morning. Those in front of the line sat on lawn chairs and waited patiently. They had arrived around 8:30 -- just minutes after the announcement of Penn State's second-round National Invitation Tournament matchup with Maryland. The Lions (22-8) host the Terrapins (19-13) at 7:30 tonight in Rec Hall.

Most had learned of the game by listening to the radio or seeing the announcement on the local cable channel. Some even noticed signs hanging in campus classrooms.

"I heard it on the radio and came right over," John Rita (junior-accounting) said. "I'm going to buy three tickets because that's all the money I have."

Earlier this year students stayed overnight in Rec Hall awaiting tickets for the Feb. 22 game with West Virginia, but Friday's turnout dwarfed that initial bunch which had called its overnight home "Parkhillville."

"There really wasn't a need to stand in line for tickets before," explained Mark VanNatter (junior-marketing), who waited in line Friday and stayed overnight for WVU tickets. "We went to the Atlantic 10 final in Rutgers last year and I think a lot more people went than was expected.

"The game was disappointing, but I think that really kicked everything off."

"Parkhillville" may have been the first time University students showed such a fanatical desire for men's basketball tickets. It was definitely the first time in Coach Bruce Parkhill's seven-year tenure that such a phenomenon had taken place.

Last week about three dozen students stayed overnight in Rec Hall again, this time anticipating sales of first-round NIT tickets. Some went to Rec Hall before the Lions' matchup with Marquette had even been announced. They knew tickets -- for either a home or away game -- would go on sale Monday morning and wanted to be first in line.

One person got in line without any money, hoping the ticket policy would be the same as a regular season game. Several hours later he was turned away at the ticket window.

Although that group was small, it was well prepared. Television sets and VCRs, along with a Nintendo game kept the campers happy as they waited for the ticket office to open at 8 a.m. Early that morning, Parkhill visited the group. He shook everyone's hand and members of the Basketball Club passed out pizzas.

VanNatter was in that line.

"There's about 10 or 12 of us who have been in line for all of those games," he said. "We just like basketball and want to be good fans. In fact a couple of my friends went to see the women's game in Tallahassee last Wednesday."

Andy Lynch (junior-spanish business) was one of two people who drove to the women's first-round game against Florida State. He returned to State College at 4 a.m. Friday. At 1O:45 Friday morning, Lynch stood behind VanNatter as they waited to buy tickets.

"I came here intending to buy two tickets," Lynch said. "But after I called a couple people . . . I'm going to buy seven."

While waiting, students also took time to send, and individually sign, a letter which wished Parkhill and his team good luck against Maryland. At the students' request, a copy of the letter was also sent to the women's team.

After the sparse turnout (3,729) for the Lions' first-round game last Wednesday, many students expected the team to be on the road for the second round of the tournament. Decisions on who hosts NIT games are based on attendance and revenues.

The game is not being televised, however, so attendance should be bolstered. And an agreement between the University and the NIT will surely improve the monetary benefits for the tournament. Penn State has promised the tournament committee the money for a sellout even if the game is not a sellout.

About 2,300 tickets remain for tonight's game. The Rec Hall ticket office opens at 8 this morning and will continue to sell tickets until game time. Tickets cost $4 for students and youth and $10 for adults and senior citizens.