Jerry Jones, Cowboys Reportedly Opt for SeatGeek over NFL's Ticketmaster Deal

Jerry Jones is once again separating himself from the NFL.

The Dallas Cowboys owner has decided to opt out of the league's ticketing deal with Ticketmaster and instead signed an exclusive provider contract with SeatGeek, per ESPN's Darren Rovell. The New Orleans Saints chose to opt out of the NFL deal in favor of SeatGeek in November.

The Cowboys and Saints are the only two NFL franchises not under the league's agreement with Ticketmaster. The Detroit Lions had a partnership with Veritix but are reuniting with Ticketmaster for the 2018 season, per Rovell.

The move is not related to Jones' frayed relationship with the NFL league office. Roger Goodell has requested that Jones pay the more than $2 million in legal fees incurred by the league when the Cowboys owner challenged the commissioner's contract extension. Jones threatened to sue the NFL to block Goodell's extension, in part because of his displeasure over Goodell's handling of the suspension of running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Jones has a history of trying to separate Cowboys business ventures from the NFL as a whole. The Cowboys are the only NFL franchise that is not part of the league's licensing deal, which splits profits evenly across the 31 other teams. Jones instead chooses where Cowboys gear is sold and is entitled to profits independent of the league.