BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Despite the Buffalo Bills statement on Tuesday that casts doubt there will be fans in Bills Stadium as early as October 15, hope still remains there will be fans in Orchard Park at some point this season.
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Ultimately, the decision on when, or if, the stadium reopens for fans is up to Governor Andrew Cuomo and his office. He did not address anything having to do with the Buffalo Bills during his Tuesday news conference.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Monday there continues to be conversations between the county, state, and team about fans returning at a 10 percent capacity. This would allow slightly more than 7,000 fans.
Poloncarz said the Bills are pushing to bring back 9,000 fans.
"It's cautiously possible (to have 10 percent of fans back at the stadium)," Dr. Joseph Chow, President of WNY Immediate Care, told WBEN. "I think however the Bills or the local department of health guide to open 10 percent is going to have to mirror other businesses also, meaning they have to have a certain low level of positivity. I think there's going to have to be very tiered and timed entryways in and out of the stadium. It would be interesting to see how fans are seated. Hopefully, they'll be six feet apart and, presumably, there will still not be tailgating. Cautiously and optimistically it can be done as long as the parameters are met."
Most teams in the NFL have not allowed fans back at the stadium, though some teams such as Miami, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Dallas, and more are allowing fans on a limited capacity. AT&T Stadium in Dallas allowed 20,000 fans to be at the stadium for their home opener. That's 20 percent of the stadium capacity for Cowboys games. Similarly, Miami allowed approximately 13,000 fans into their stadium.
"I'm all for being more conservative," Dr. Chow said about the idea of bringing more than 7,000 fans in. "I think if we are even contemplating opening the stadium, I would err towards the side of ten percent versus 20 or potentially less. I do understand Florida has come under some scrutiny for opening things up and not being tough on masks. I think that's the wrong move."
Republican State Senator Patrick Gallivan is among the lawmakers who are questioning the "inconsistent application" of data, and wants to see the state allow businesses to expand capacity across the board.
Democratic Assemblyman Patrick Burke, whose district includes Bills Stadium, said Florida cannot be relied upon as a model that New York looks at when allowing for fans to return to the stadium.
"They've been irresponsible and intertwined their politics with it," Burke said. "We're not going to be like Florida when it comes to our COVID response. Is (ten percent) an arbitrary number? I don't know. If that's the number that health officials believe is a responsible way to get people in and out of the stadium safely, I'm going to choose to go with doctors and public health officials."
Burke said he has not spoken with the governor's office about getting fans back into the stadium.
Fans would almost certainly jump on an opportunity to get into the stadium, especially with the team's strong start to the season. But who would get priority seating? Those questions remain unanswered, though Del Reid said it's fair that fans with the most years as a season ticket holder should get priority but also suggested that a lottery system could be used to help other season ticket holders get their spot in the stadium, should it happen.