On cusp of clinching division, Vikings begin selling playoff tickets
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings are selling playoff tickets, though they have yet to technically earned a spot in the postseason yet.
Granted, the team is 10-3 and needs just one more win or tie (or even a Detroit Lion loss or tie) to win their division and lock up a playoff berth.
The team announced Thursday it's selling "an extremely limited number" of tickets for a home wild card game on Jan. 14, 15, or 16. The Vikings said if the game does not occur, tickets will be refunded.
Officials with the Vikings told WCCO's Mike Max that the NFL directs teams to start selling postseason tickets at roughly this point in the season, regardless of whether they've finalized their place in the playoffs.
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If the Vikings do win the NFC North, they'll host a playoff game on wild card weekend no matter their seeding.
There are three scenarios in which the Vikings do not host a game on wild card weekend, and two of them are bad. The best outcome would be finishing with the No. 1 seed, which, while still within reach, is unlikely. The 12-1 Philadelphia Eagles currently hold that spot, and they look as dominant as any first seed in recent memory.
The bad scenarios: The Vikings miss the playoffs altogether (very unlikely given the weakness of the NFC), or they lose all of their remaining games while the Lions win out, thus ceding the division title. Also unlikely, but again... Vikings fans will always have their doubts and remain superstitious.