Good things come to those who wait.

Penn State students have been waiting in the wings for this season's football tickets since their checks were cashed as early as two months ago.

"The supplier was late, very late, getting the tickets here," Athletic Ticket Manager Bud Meredith said. "We did not have the physical tickets to send."

But the good thing coming to student fans should be a ticket -- soon.

The Penn State ticket office received the bulk portion of the tickets from its supplier, Globe Label and Ticket Co. of Tacoma, Wash., last Wednesday, and the tickets are in the mail, Meredith said.

This means most students will need to have their tickets forwarded to their local addresses.

Meredith said the tickets should have arrived by today at the addresses sent to the University with students' checks, adding that people should have enough time to get their tickets forwarded before the season opener against Minnesota on Sept. 4.

Any student without a ticket before the first game should come to him personally so he can handle each case on an individual basis, he said. His office is located at the south end of Beaver Stadium.

Meredith said the supplier had printing difficulties and underestimated the severity of the problem.

"We were just small potatoes in their minds," he said.

But some students say they were small potatoes in the minds of the ticket office because they were not notified about the printing problem.

"I think it's extremely stupid that they did not notify us, especially since my check was cashed a few days after I sent it in -- over two months ago," said Trish Margel (junior-industrial engineering).

"It's pretty disappointing," said Diane Colella (freshman-chemistry). "If they want to sell tickets, they should let people know what's going on."

Meredith said sending 21,000 letters would have been a difficult task, adding that he assumed the order would be filled on time.

Assistant Ticket Manager Josie Koll said Penn State has used Globe Label and Ticket Co. in the past and has been satisfied with its work.

"They were a little slow getting our tickets here last year," said Koll. "But they have never been this late."

Margel said she doesn't think her tickets will get to her on time because the mail is slow in Baltimore, Md., her hometown. She added that none of her friends have received tickets.

Kevin Cooper (sophomore-economics) got his tickets two weeks ago. He said about half of his friends have tickets.

"Football is my favorite sport," said Cooper, "so I was hoping I'd get them before the first game."

Sophomores and freshmen, like Cooper, receive their tickets first because they are scattered around different campuses, Meredith said. Juniors get their tickets next, and seniors receive them last.

Meredith said the supplier would never be used again.

"This is not a concern of the students," said Meredith. "It's between the Penn State ticket office and the supplier."

Tom King, a sales representative with Globe Label and Ticket Co., could not be reached for comment.