KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NFL is moving forward with plans for a possible Chiefs-Bills AFC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, even though it’s possible neither team will advance that far.
But should the Chiefs beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Saturday’s AFC Divisional Round playoff game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, they will either play host to the Cincinnati Bengals in the conference title game or face the Bills in Atlanta.
That’s a result of a plan approved by NFL owners to make the playoffs fair for all teams after the Bengals-Bills Week 17 game was canceled due to Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest in the first quarter.
Fans have wondered how the tickets for a neutral-site AFC Championship Game would be distributed, and the NFL revealed that answer Tuesday.
The league announced each team has been given an allotment of tickets to sell beginning Wednesday.
Season ticket members for both teams who had already opted to purchase AFC Championship Game tickets will have a pre-sale opportunity to buy tickets for the game in Atlanta at 9 a.m. Central on Wednesday.
Those fans will be “provided unique passcodes tied to their season ticket account,” the NFL said. The league added those fans can expect an email with more information on how to buy the tickets.
Once those tickets have been sold, other Chiefs and Bills fans can sign up to receive a passcode for a pre-sale, “subject to availability,” the NFL said. That will begin Friday at 9 a.m. (Central).
The NFL said fans can register for the pre-sale on the league’s website: NFL.com/AFC.
If any tickets remain unsold, they will be sold Monday at 9 a.m. (Central), but only if the Chiefs and Bills advance.
The NFL said fans will only be able to purchase six tickets at a time for the game, which will take place on Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. It remains possible the game could be played in Kansas City, Atlanta, Buffalo or Cincinnati, depending on the outcomes of this weekend’s Divisional Round games.
Fans who buy tickets for the game in Atlanta would “automatically be refunded in full to the original method of payment” if the game is held elsewhere, the NFL said.
As for Saturday’s Divisional Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ticketmaster.com, the NFL’s official ticket marketplace, reports seating availability in most sections, with tickets starting at $165. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m.
