ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Bills, NFL, New York State and Erie County came together Monday morning to hold a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Bills stadium.
"Ralph, we're moving across the street," said Bills owner Terry Pegula during the groundbreaking ceremony. The new stadium will be built across Abbott Road from Highmark Stadium and is expected to be completed by fall 2026. It will be a state-of-the-art canopy-covered stadium with a seating capacity of around 63,000 seats. The Bills said it will be the largest project ever built in Western New York.
A public-private partnership will cover the price tag. It was originally set to cost $1.4 billion, but will now cost $1.5 billion. The county will provide $250 million, the state will provide $600 million, and the Bills will cover the remainder of the price tag.
The Erie County Legislature met in May and unanimously approved the deal which paved the way for construction to begin.
During the ceremony, Pegula also announced the Bills and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield have agreed to a new naming rights deal. This means the new stadium will also be Highmark Stadium. The Bills said during construction it will be referred to as "New Highmark Stadium" and then in 2026 when construction is expected to be completed, it will then be referred to as Highmark Stadium.
Fans can sign up now for the opportunity to purchase New Highmark Stadium season tickets online here. "By placing a deposit, fans can join the priority list, which will allow them to visit the Stadium Experience and purchase seats when they become available, following current Bills Season Ticket Members," the Bills website says. According to the Bills, existing season ticket holders do not need to complete the additional deposit because their priority place on the list is already established.
You can watch the full groundbreaking ceremony in the video player above.
