Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - While many Buffalo Bills fans have made the journey down to Southern California for Thursday night's season opener against the Rams at SoFi Stadium, a number of fans were at Buffalo Niagara International Airport early Wednesday morning to board their flights for Los Angeles.
"Over the top excitement," said Bills fan Mike Marino from South Buffalo. "I've been looking forward to this since it came out on the schedule. Going to visit a buddy down there, and really looking forward to it."
"Pretty exciting, we can't wait to go," echoed Bills fan Daniel from Lockport. "Not looking forward to the heat, though, 100 degrees. Not in our wheelhouse, but here we come."
Once the NFL schedule was released back in May, a number of Bills fans immediate jumped into action to plan the trip to Los Angeles to take in their favorite team taking on the defending Super Bowl champions in their barn.
"It's been planned since the schedule came out. We had our eyes on this one," said Bills fan Ralph Moline from Buffalo. "Also, a trip to Los Angeles is kind of nice, we've never been to the West Coast. So we're very excited."
Some of "Bills Mafia" at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Wednesday were making their own trek down to Southern California, set to board their flights and connect with whatever city eventually led them to Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, a large group of fans on-hand were set to board a special charter flight from Buffalo to Los Angeles that morning, all thanks to Will Bradley, owner and operator of "Fans of Buffalo".
"It's extremely exciting. We've been planning this for months," said Bradley just hours before taking off with fellow Bills fans. "Honestly, we knew once we saw the game, we knew it was gonna be the opener, and it was gonna be really tough to plan. Had some sleepless nights once the gas prices started rising, but we put it together and made it somewhat affordable for everybody. We have a full plane headed out, and this is one of the best rosters I've ever seen. So it's kind of a combo of build up with planning everything and getting out there and seeing kickoff."
Bradley's site is an opportunity for Bills fans over the course of the regular season. to travel across the country and take in a road game to cheer on the team. Fans of Buffalo not only takes care of flights for fans, but also helps with hotels, transportation and game tickets. In addition, the groups also tries to link up with the Bills Backers in each city and throw a really big party before every game.
"A big part of the planning was all the Bills Backers chapters out there," Bradley said. "It was San Diego, L.A. Bills Backers, South Bay L.A. and Orange County. So many that it's kind of hard to remember, but everybody played a big part and that's how we got this tailgate to be so big. It's going to be right outside the stadium at Hollywood Park Casino, we have about 3,000 people confirmed and a few players and celebrities are gonna be stopping by."
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When planning a trip with Fans of Buffalo over the course of a season, Bills fans are able to sign up for the available package, and then all the information will be sent over the summer. Fans can then make payments over the summer, leading up to the time the flight takes off from the airport for the game.
"You show up, don't have to bring anything, the tailgates are fully catered and an open bar, and you just have fun," Bradley said.
While some fans are making their first trip out of town to take in a Bills game on the road, many fans taking this trip have traveled this path before. Some fans even have a yearly tradition of hitting, at least, one road city in a season to cheer the Bills on and take over visiting stadiums.
"The biggest thing is just the camaraderie between Bills fans. When you get out there and you realize that there's that many people that are there like you are, when you don't expect that, it really is a cool experience to see all the red and blue, all the tailgates, all the parties, everything all across the whole stadium," said Bills fan Lee from Buffalo.
"Just to be like a big supporter of the team so that when it's third-and-long and you can cheer a little bit and give the defense an extra little boost, that always helps. It's nice to see how well Buffalo represents in another city," added Marino. "In New Orleans, we took over. When I was in Jacksonville, we took over. In Miami, we took over. I'm hoping that even though it is a big stadium, I'm hoping we're taking over there too."
Hear more from Bills fans heading to Los Angeles in the player below: