Organizers of a lecture by prominent author and scientist Richard Dawkins confirmed Friday that the event will be at McCasland Field House, not Sharp Hall. Seats for the lecture will be assigned for free on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Dawkins will speak March 6 at 7 p.m in McCasland Fieldhouse.

Barry Weaver, the geology professor in charge of Dawkins' visit, told The Daily that demand for tickets to the March 6 lecture prompted the move to the field house, which can seat more than 3,000 people.

Tickets to the original event, which was scheduled for the 1,018-seat Sharp Concert Hall in Catlett Music Center, sold out in less than half an hour.

The tickets, which were free, soon began appearing in online marketplaces, and some students reported paying as much as $60 for tickets.

Weaver said it wasn't fair to buy and sell the tickets online.

“I’m not sure if it’s legal or not, but it’s certainly not ethical,” Weaver said.

Any student who gets in line early enough will now be able to see Dawkins for free. Weaver said he was glad the event's organizers had been able to procure some extra funding to pay the higher rental costs for the field house.

"The demand was such that it merited additional tickets being available," Weaver said. "Now more than 3,000 people will be able to see him."

Dawkins is a best selling author and biologist who writes about evolutionary theory. His most recent book, "The God Delusion," is a defense of atheism that ignited considerable controversy when it was published in 2006.

Weaver said Dawkins is a highly sought-after speaker for 2009's many celebrations of Charles Darwin. This year marks the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book “On the Origin of Species.”

“A lot of universities were interested [in Dawkins], but we staked a claim early,” Weaver said.