Buffalo Bills Respond After Widespread Complaints About New Highmark Stadium

After backlash from fans who attended the Blue & Red scrimmage, the Buffalo Bills issued a statement about their new stadium.

Fans take in the history of Buffalo, the bison statues and players wall of fame are in the family circle at Highmark Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

What was supposed to be a celebration quickly turned into a list of concerns. The Buffalo Bills hosted fans for the first time at their new Highmark Stadium this past Saturday as they held their annual Return of the Blue & Red practice.

There was an attendance record set as more than 50,000 fans packed the new stadium and watched the Bills' scrimmage. While there were plenty of positive aspects to take in, social media was buzzing with complaints.

Some of the biggest concerns involved seats that had obstructed views, which does happen at times at stadiums, but many fans felt they were misinformed before purchasing their season tickets. Another major complaint was the size of the video boards, which were on the smaller side for a stadium that exceeded $2 billion.

The Bills have heard the complaints and decided there were sufficient concerns that they should respond. For that reason, they released a statement, saying that they will utilize the next six weeks to address and refine any details possible.

"Thank you to Bills Mafia for setting a new attendance record with more than 50,000 fans at the Return of the Blue & Red. Saturday's practice was a great opportunity to test the new stadium. We are currently addressing internal and external feedback regarding the facility's operation following the first event. We'll utilize the next six weeks to refine any details as we prepare for the home opener on Thursday, September 17,” the Bills said in a statement via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.

Don't hold your breath on big changes

Clouds move over the top of Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Initially, that statement makes it sound as though the front office is going to see what changes can be made. That said, later comments relayed by Getzenberg suggest otherwise.

In her piece, Getzenberg quotes a source saying that the team heard from "less than 1% of PSL holders" about issues with the view. They also said some of the pictures being shared were from seats that are not designed for football events.

This isn't to say that no changes will be made, but it sounds as though the powers that be might not believe the concerns are valid enough to make sweeping alterations. That said, it's also highly illogical to believe that any significant changes can be made to such a massive product in a mere six weeks. Instead, some fans will have to deal with some inconveniences and small video boards.