Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - Sundays are for football in Western New York, and Buffalo Bills fans were back in Orchard Park for the first Sunday kickoff at the new Highmark Stadium.
Fans were geared up for Sunday's 1 p.m. kickoff against the Los Angeles Chargers.
"The 1 o'clock games are always the greatest. You got the sun beating down on you, keeping you warm. It's that kind of shorts and a sweatshirt kind of day, which is perfect for football," said Jim from Lockport.
"It's great to see the crowds out again. It is an elite fall day out here," said Jim from Lancaster with WBEN.
With the new stadium also comes new team parking lots for fans to set up shop for tailgating, and this year's lots feature a new setup with expanded space for fans to be able to enjoy more pregame festivities with others. It's a welcomed change for many Bills fans in team lots.
"Yeah, it's better. More room is good, and it's paved, so that's nice too," said Tom from West Seneca with WBEN.
"We were actually talking about it. It is, I think, definitely a little better, more room at least" said Liam from Ajax, Ontario. "We got here a bit earlier than we normally do, and we just noticed that, at least, the parking spots in-between, people were throwing the ball and don't have to like go away to an empty parking lot to throw their football around. They could just do it around here, so that's a really good point. And same thing with cornhole and stuff like that."
Many Bills fans are appreciative that the team went to the lengths they did to not only consider what fans wanted out of a tailgate experience, but also continue to ensure that environment stays strong in Western New York.
"It's the biggest part of what it means to be a Bills fan. It's part of the culture," said Mike from West Seneca. "I think everything works super smoothly. The fact that they repaved a lot of the old lots to make it nicer, so I think it's super important that they preserve this. And I think the Bills organization did a nice job making this a special place for the fans."
Some fans not only feel the new layout of the parking slots are safer for Bills fans, but it also helps relieve some feelings of being crammed in as closely as possible.
"I think they designed it pretty nice. The ways in-between the parking spaces give a lot of area for tailgating. It's really nice that we're on some really, really nice blacktop versus the old gravel that we used to have in Lot 4 or 5 off of Abbott," Jim from Lockport said. "I think as they go on, they're going to learn how to get people in the lots faster, and I think it's just going to be a learning process throughout the year. But overall, it's a great area. And it's great to be in the shadow of Highmark as you're tailgating."
"We've been to a couple of games, where it's been more cramped, more like in a gravel lot somewhere. And this is a beautiful parking lot with lots of space. Kind of like a little upgrade is what it feels like, for sure," added Crystal from North Carolina.
The Bills will be back at it next Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff when they host the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium.
"It is nice, especially for younger kids or people that are doing activities and stuff"
"It is nice, especially for younger kids or people that are doing activities and stuff"
