By Justin DiLoro / Billswire.usatoday.com
Compared to the new-age billion-dollar NFL stadiums, New Era Field, home of the Buffalo Bills, is a bit of a dinosaur.
The stadium, which has been home to the Bills since 1973, is among the oldest in the league. Because of this, the venue lacks some of the modern amenities that the NFL would like to have in order to generate further revenue for the league.
The Sporting News recently ranked New Era Field No. 27 out of the 31 home venues for NFL teams. Here’s what Vinnie Iyer wrote about Buffalo’s home:
Rich-turned Ralph Wilson-turned New Era, Buffalo’s home in Orchard Park, N.Y., has been central to the some of the most loyal and hungry NFL fans. It has the same community feel as that of Lambeau Field, but it could use more updating.
This ranking piles on about the opinions that the Bills need a new stadium. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who was in town this past week for Jim Kelly’s annual golf tournament, made it clear that he believes the franchise would benefit from building a new stadium.
“The reason why I’m supportive is because I want to make sure this franchise remains stable here, and continues and remains competitive,” Goodell said. “A stadium is going to maintain the kind of fan base that’s going to keep the team competitive and allow us to be successful in that market.”
This ranking piles on about the opinions that the Bills need a new stadium. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who was in town this past week for Jim Kelly’s annual golf tournament, made it clear that he believes the franchise would benefit from building a new stadium.
“The reason why I’m supportive is because I want to make sure this franchise remains stable here, and continues and remains competitive,” Goodell said. “A stadium is going to maintain the kind of fan base that’s going to keep the team competitive and allow us to be successful in that market.”
Interestingly enough, Goodell uses the fan base as a means of promoting his agenda. A new stadium will have more revenue-producing services than the 46-year-old New Era Field. While the fans are still coming to Orchard Park, as the team averaged 64,961 fans per game for a team that was on the down-slope of a surprise peak with culminated with a Wild Card berth in 2017, it’s the ranking Buffalo has for percent of the seats filled that may have Goodell worried. The Bills were 28th in the league, filling 90.4-percent of their available seats, according to ESPN attendance figures.
The owners of the Buffalo Bills, Terry and Kim Pegula, hired a firm to conduct a study on viable options for the organization moving forward with regard to its stadium situation.
Without the results of the survey and study, it’s difficult to predict what the organization’s next step will be for their home field.
However, we know what Goodell wants. And from the outside, there’s a view that a stadium would help bolster the image of the Bills. The Sporting News article placed New Era Field ahead of FedEx Field in Washington, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for Oakland, Dignity Health Sports Park as home to the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Los Angeles Coliseum for the Los Angeles Rams.
For what it’s worth, Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly thinks the location is fine: “I love where we’re at.”
Many fans do as well.