Pittsford, N.Y. (WBEN) - Buffalo Bills training camp is officially underway at St. John Fisher University, and fans from near and far were able to flock back to the Rochester area to catch their favorite team in action ahead of kickoff for the 2025 season.
In years past, tickets to Bills training camp were more accessible, with free tickets being available for pickup at places like a local Tops Friendly Market or Wegmans. However, due to the greater popularity and more fans wanting to take advantage of seeing the Bills up close and personal on the practice field, the process of getting tickets has become a bit more limited.
When the Bills originally announced their training camp schedule last month, fans that were not season ticket holders were required to enter into a lottery system with the hopes their names would be drawn for tickets. Fans were able to request a maximum of four tickets, but entering the lottery did not guarantee tickets to the general public practices.
For those lucky enough to have gotten their names picked for Wednesday's opening day of training camp, they can understand the idea behind the premise, especially with such a limited capacity at St. John Fisher University.
"Honestly, the demand is so much higher," said Bills fan Brad from Livonia in an interview with WBEN. "I've been coming here for 15 years or whatever, so during the drought, you could get a ticket anytime you wanted. And now there's just such demand that it's probably a fair way to do it, I guess."
For Christina Dwyer from Webster, she loves the idea of this system for ticketing to training camp.
"It's kind of like an exclusivity factor too, especially this being the first day and you just hoping to God you're the one that gets picked. I think it's awesome," Dwyer said with WBEN.
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While some fans were lucky to get their name selected as part of the draw, others got the benefit of knowing someone else who got tickets in the process.
For Penny from Webster, her first training camp experience came Wednesday with some help from her daughter, who happened to be one of the lucky names drawn for tickets to opening day in Rochester.
"Everybody wants to come, and not everybody can come. Just had a lot of people enter the lottery in hopes that we would get them. I was declined, but my daughter actually got them and gave them to me, because she knows I'm a big Bills fan," Penny shared with WBEN.
As for Mark from North Chili, he was able to get a pair of tickets from his wife's employers so he could take his daughter, Melina, to camp this year.
"It is harder to get tickets. You have to definitely know people and be connected, and it was more of a challenge," Mark said with WBEN.
While fans like Jim Bartz from Batavia understand the demand for tickets is greater than ever, he would like to see one alteration to the process going forward.
"I'd like it to be a little bit easier to get the kids, the young fans here," said Bartz, who was with his son Bowen at practice. "I think you've got to worry about these little guys here that haven't seen it through the heydays and all that stuff. I'd prefer it to be a little bit easier to get tickets for camp."
No matter how the ticketing process for training camp is conducted, though, many Bills fans are often keen on getting to St. John Fisher, at least, once or twice in order to check out the team in action to prepare for a hopeful Super Bowl run.
"I think it's cool just to get close to the players, with them practicing. Usually, I'm in the stands, you're far away or whatever. It's just kind of cool to see the players up close and personal, if you will," Brad said.
Some fans like Dwyer are adamant that this year's camp will hold some significance for Buffalo's run to the playoffs and beyond.
"We've got to be here in the beginning of the season to say, 'We were here when, at practice, when the year that we go to the Super Bowl and we f***** win," she said emphatically.
For other fans like Bartz, it's an opportunity to get the up-close look at the best players in the game, while sharing the moment with his son.
"Let's be real, Josh is MVP of the league, the team looks fantastic. I think we've got the potential to make it all the way and win our first Super Bowl," he said. "It's exciting here in Buffalo, Batavia, Rochester, Syracuse. Everywhere."
And while some Bills fans have to travel farther than others to make it out to training camp, a large portion of "Bills Mafia" are just fine making the annual trek to St. John Fisher University for the experience that is camp.
"St. John Fisher is awesome here. It's a great college, so it's just fun to be part of this and to see it," Mark said.
"It's been 25 years since they've been doing it, and it's just good to see this every year. And they come back, and I'll bring her and have new experiences, and see it to be a part of it."
"I think St. John Fisher is a great place to come to. It brings in more people from the East, Syracuse can get here. And it just brings in more fans, a little bit easier," Bartz added. "Up in Orchard Park, people down in the Fredonia area, it's just a hop, skip and a jump for them."
For Dwyer, this camp was the first she and her husband have been able to attend in about 10 years. She can notice a significant difference in how training camp is held now compared to a decade ago.
"I remember the last time we were here 10 years ago, it was one solid tent with a whole bunch of little things in it, like the [Bills] Store. And I really like this layout right now. It kind of feels like an expo, and that brings a little bit more excitement to it," Dwyer noted.
Continued coverage of Bills training camp will be available at WBEN.com over the coming days and weeks.