Vikings fans have traveled in large numbers for many of the team's road games this year. For Sunday night's pivotal game at Detroit, the Vikings wanted a sizable contingent of their fans at Ford Field badly enough they took an unusual step to make it happen.

A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed the team spent almost $2 million to acquire around 1,900 tickets for Sunday night's NFC North title game against the Lions, giving fans an opportunity to purchase them for as little as $200 apiece.

The NFL gives teams an allotment of 600 tickets per road game, but given the stakes of Sunday's game (the winner claims home-field advantage in the NFC in addition to the North title) and the prices of tickets on the secondary market (with seats going for more than $300), the Vikings hoped to get a larger contingent of their fans in the stadium.

"Given the uniqueness of this game, we wanted to offer our stakeholders — staff, family, season ticket members and team partners — an opportunity to attend," Vikings Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Jeff Anderson said in a statement.

Sports Illustrated first reported details of the unusual maneuver, adding an NFL source said the Vikings' scheme broke no league rules.