Bad News For Bills Fans Who Want The New Stadium To Be a Dome

The Buffalo Bills are about to go through their third playoff run in three seasons this month, but not before they finish out the 2021 regular season against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium this Sunday.

Speaking of Highmark Stadium, the Buffalo Bills have played 48 years at the site in Orchard Park. It's gone by Rich Stadium and Ralph Wilson Stadium ("The Ralph" as many locals still call it), but it looks like the end of the line for Highmark Stadium is near.

Since June, the talk of a new stadium has been on Bills fans' minds, as well as the media and government officials in Erie County and New York State.

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From the reported stadium study to the AP report that stated the Bills proposed a $1.4 billion stadium for Orchard Park that would be open-air, to the recent comments made by Governor Kathy Hochul regarding stadium negotiations.

The debate in Buffalo has been "to dome, or not to dome?"

It's basically been confirmed by Hochul that this new stadium, whenever an official agreement if reached between the Bills, county and state, will be open-air.

Hochul said that the Pegulas' preference was for an open-air stadium in Orchard Park (which she's stated before the state is on-board with) and that the open-air stadium is part of the "Buffalo bravado."

Negotiations are ongoing and hopefully, an agreement is reached in the near future.

Hochul said there is no set date to get a deal done, but in the next few months looks like the likely plan/goal.

The stadium could be comparable to the Miami Dolphins Hard Rock Stadium, however, with a slight overhang that would cover most of the fans but leave the field open to the elements.

We'll see when the deal is reached, but it certainly sounds like a deal is going to be reached eventually and Highmark Stadium will only have a handful of seasons left in it.