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After the NFL scrambled to avoid a trio of blackouts in the wild-card round two years ago, the league changed the procedure for reserving postseason tickets. Instead of requiring fans to pay for tickets to games for which the home team has yet to qualify, season-ticket holders can secure dibs on the ability to buy the tickets when a home game becomes a certainty.

Last year, it started in November. This year, the league has adjusted the policy to require reservations to be solicited before the regular season even begins.

According to the Associated Press, the process already has commenced, with the Broncos telling season-ticket holders they can reserve seats starting on August 10 and lasting until September 10.

It’s a no-lose proposition for the league, harnessing the 0-0/anything-can-happen optimism of the preseason to secure commitments to buy tickets to something that may never happen, which makes it more likely to fit within a given household budget.