The Buffalo Bills held a ceremony on Monday in honor of the construction of its new stadium. This comes after years of negotiation in order to secure the approval of New York state and Erie County.
Set to be in use from the 2026 season onwards, the stadium is located on Abbot Road, across from the current Bills’ facility. The agreement for the new stadium includes a 30-year lease and a non-relocation agreement that makes it more challenging to uproot the team to another city.
“While Buffalo isn’t one of the larger NFL markets, the days of us operating as a small-market team are in the past,” chief operating officer Ron Raccuia declared at the ceremony. “On the field, we’ve become a national brand, gaining national attention and attracting national opportunities.”
Buffalo revealed that the new stadium is to be named the Highmark Stadium, thanks to a new naming rights agreement with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York.
Costing $1.54 billion to construct, the new stadium is expected to seat 63,000 spectators. In addition to stacked seating and a canopy overhang to protect from extreme weather conditions, the stadium is to incorporate a natural grass field as opposed to the artificial turf at the current stadium.
