The new online distribution system for Fanatics basketball tickets left some fans crying foul over the weekend when they were unable to print their tickets for the Pepsi Blue & Gold Classic Tournament games.

A number of students who tried to print their tickets before Friday's 8 p.m. game said they were unable to do so, and had to turn instead to the Bradley Center's will-call office to obtain their tickets.

Mike Tokarchick, a College of Arts & Sciences sophomore, said he tried to print his ticket at around 6:15 p.m. Friday, but could not do so.

Tokarchick said a "frequently asked questions" section of the Ticketmaster Web site listed the cut-off time for printing tickets as two hours before an event, leading himself and other students to believe that this was the problem.

Tokarchick said he eventually obtained tickets after presenting his MUID at the will-call office.

College of Arts & Sciences sophomore Sam Corbo experienced similar problems, believing the two-hour cut-off time was to blame.

Corbo obtained a ticket from the will-call office, but not before he and others missed much of the game's first half, he said.

Mike Broeker, director of media relations for the athletics department, said the two-hour cut-off does not apply to Fanatics tickets and was not responsible for Friday's problems.

Instead, Broeker said the problems occurred because Fanatics tickets granted admission to both the 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. games.

Marquette did not play in the 5:30 p.m. game, but the Ticketmaster site interpreted both games as a single event that had already passed and would not let ticketholders print their tickets, he said.

Friday's problems were the result of a miscommunication, Broeker said, and students can print their tickets any time before the game.

If they have problems doing so, "all they have to do is go down to the Bradley Center and they will have their tickets printed for them, " he said.

Besides the printing problems, students voiced concerns about a number of aspects of the new online ticketing system.

Luke Junk, a College of Business Administration, said he believed the new system made it more difficult for students to share spare tickets.

Broeker said sharing tickets is just as easy in the new system, which allows ticketholders to e-mail their tickets to other people.

Several students cited the cost of printing their own tickets as a complaint with the new system.

"You pay for getting your ticket," said Chris Koppes, a College of Arts & Sciences sophomore.

Koppes and others also questioned whether revenue from the advertisements that appear on the page with the printed ticket played a part in the university's decision to use online ticketing.

But Broeker said the advertisements on the ticket are all sold by Ticketmaster and Marquette does not receive income from them.

The online ticketing system was designed to be more convenient and more flexible for students, Broeker said.

"They can print (their tickets) at will," he said.

The new system also gives the university greater ability to track student attendance at games, he said.

Broeker said he has not received negative feedback regarding the new system, and he encouraged students with concerns to contact the athletics office.

Koppes said he knew many students who did not have problems printing their tickets. The problems of the new system are "just annoying," not major flaws, he said.