The NFL has eliminated a rule that prevents owners from owning non-NFL teams in markets containing other NFL teams.

The rule resulted in Stan Kroenke transferring ownership of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets to members of his family.

The rule results from the shrinking pool of individuals with the money to buy NFL teams.

At one point, league rules prohibited owners from owning any other major-league sports franchise. The league allowed cross-ownership in the same market when the late Wayne Huizenga, who already owned MLB’s Marlins and the NHL’s Panthers, bought the Dolphins in 1994.