First-day ticket sales for the The Fray concert broke 1,700, which is 70 percent of the tickets available, ASUA President Erin Hertzog said yesterday.

The concert, which is expected to sell out by the end of the week, will take place at Centennial Hall at 8 p.m. on Nov. 9.

A few students camped out Wednesday night to ensure that they’d get tickets, said Tommy Bruce, presidential chief of staff with Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

“”Some students said they had been waiting since 9:30 the night before,”” Bruce said.

Although tickets didn’t go on sale until 10 a.m., a long line had formed at the box office by 9 a.m., said Samantha Scaife, audience services coordinator for Centennial Hall.

By noon, Centennial Hall sold 1,114 of the 2,456 available tickets at the box office and was getting ready to open phone and Web order lines as well, Scaife said.

Scaife said that she expects the tickets to sell out by the end of this week.

“”Last year, Death Cab for Cutie and The Format came, and those shows did really well,”” Scaife said. “”I think the UA community responds well to this type of music.””

Tickets are being sold primarily through Centennial Hall’s box office, Web site and phone lines, but they can also be purchased at the UofA Bookstore and the University Services Building, Scaife said.

Lindsay Cherevka, a family studies senior, said she waited in line for 2 1/2 hours before she was able to purchase her tickets.

Cherevka, who is going to the concert with her roommate, said she is excited to see how the band performs live and is interested in viewing the opening act.

“”Sometimes opening bands introduce me to other music that I might like,”” Cherevka said.

The Fray experienced a surge in popularity in the last year from their 2005 hit album How to Save a Life, which includes songs such as “”Over My Head (Cable Car)”” and the title track, “”How to Save a Life.””

Clare Toffoli, a history sophomore, said she became a fan of The Fray since hearing their debut and hopes the band will play the majority of songs from that album.

Mary Kate McHardy, a nutritional sciences freshman, waited in line for about two hours yesterday before purchasing her tickets.

McHardy said the wait was made easier with the company of her roommate, and she hopes that the band will play the song “”She Is”” from How to Save a Life.

“”It’s cool that the UA can get such a big-name band to play here,”” McHardy said.

The concert was created through the collaborative efforts of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and the University Activities Board.

Kristen Maryn, special events director for ASUA, said the team had been working since July to plan the concert.

Maryn said the focus on events such as this concert is never money-based.

“”Of course our goal is always to break even, but the focus of this event is to provide a successful concert for students,”” Maryn said. “”It’s the best feeling in the world to see students dancing, singing and enjoying a concert.””

Hertzog said she would also like to use the concerts as an opportunity to address important campus issues, such as tuition or homecoming.