Buffalo Bills’ new stadium proposal would shrink capacity by 17%, open in 2027

John Wawrow of the Associated Press has finally thrown his reporting into the ring on the new Buffalo Bills’ stadium front. Wawrow, a well-connected reporter with the folks inside the organization, released his report on Tuesday. The most interesting nugget is the size of the stadium, which would shrink the seating capacity from roughly 72,000 to 60,000 plus 60 suites. That would make it a contender for the smallest venue in the NFL.

Wawrow also shared a timeline; the latest the new facility would open would be 2027.

“The new venue would not include a roof, but it would be designed so that a majority of the seats would be protected from the elements,” said Wawrow’s source, who also said no renderings have been submitted yet.

Also in the report, Wawrow mentions that three possible sites were explored for the new stadium and building it adjacent to the current facility made the most sense, mostly based on financial factors.

“The two other locations considered were on the University at Buffalo campus north of the city, and a downtown site on the land where the abandoned Perry Projects sit empty. The projected cost of a downtown stadium came to $1.9 billion, not including necessary infrastructure upgrades.”

This story is far from over, but with a new governor in place in New York, perhaps we can gain some traction soon.