Pittsford, N.Y. (WBEN) It might be hard to believe this. But during the Buffalo Bills playoff drought, tickets to training camp were not even needed.
Those days are gone. Ever since the Josh Allen era, tickets to training camp have become one hot commodity.
Mike Catalana, with Channel 13 WHAM Sports in Rochester, has covered 38 training camps for the Bills. He has seen it all.
"The excitement is high. People want to go, but it's tough to get a ticket. It's a nice problem for the Bills to have," he said.
Catalana started covering camp at SUNY Fredonia. There were a few reporters and a few people back then who would drop by. When camp moved to St. John Fisher, there was more excitement, but he added, tickets were only required for night practices. Otherwise, you could just go.
"That part has changed greatly," he told WBEN. "I know people get frustrated with the lottery system today, but the Bills felt they had to do it that way. It works out for some, and not for others."
Training camp offers an intimate setting, where fans can get up close with players.
The Bills have not revealed how many free tickets are distributed for training camp but availability is limited and when the tickets became available in June, they sold out almost immediately.
Training camp used to be much longer years ago. It would stretch out for weeks. This year, training camp is 15 days at St. John Fisher. It ends August 7.
Wednesday marked the first of 11 practices for the team. All but one will be open to the public. Most start at 9:45 a.m.
The Return of the Blue & Red at Highmark Stadium is August 1 at 5:30 p.m. and the first Bills preseason game is August 9 at 1:00 p.m. at Highmark Stadium.