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Buffalo Bills add debt as stadium costs continue to rise

Rising prices have the Buffalo Bills looking for leniency from the NFL.
Randy Gurzi|
The Buffalo Bills new stadium is being built across from the current one, Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park
The Buffalo Bills new stadium is being built across from the current one, Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The Buffalo Bills are in the process of building a new stadium, which is expected to be open for the 2026 season. The modern stadium isn't going to have a dome but will have the world's largest snowmelt system and a canopy that covers roughly 60 percent of the stadium seating.

As expected, such an endeavor is incredibly expensive. The new Highmark Stadium (which is being built adjacent to the existing Highmark Stadium) was initially estimated at $1.4 billion. That price rose to $2.1 billion in a report from the Erie County Stadium Development Corp.

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Continued cost increases have sent that total upward once again, with another $100 million being added to the total. That leaves the Bills looking for more funding, as well as a debt waiver from the NFL.

The league limits debt to $650 million for franchises but with $800 million being added to their initial total, the Bills are asking for leniency from the league.

There's precedence for this to be accepted with Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Los Angeles. SoFi Stadium both getting approval for an $850 million waiver. NFL owners will consider the waiver during their annual league meeting which takes place at the end of March.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.

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